


Equivalence

by NotNecessarilyinBetween



Series: Manifold Alchemist [1]
Category: D.Gray-man, Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types
Genre: Armstrong is a plot point, Dimension Travel, Gen, Poker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-20
Updated: 2015-12-20
Packaged: 2018-05-07 23:32:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 45,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5474609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotNecessarilyinBetween/pseuds/NotNecessarilyinBetween
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Allen had that same stupid complex he did, and the same stupid naivety of Al. That was it, Ed was adopting him as an unofficial Elric. It was only fair after all.<br/>Xpost from fanfiction.net</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Edward Elric shuffled his newspaper to the next page as he tried to find a comfortable way to sit on the train's seat. In his lap he held a suitcase full of scientific research papers: parallel dimensions, time travel, other world theories, even stories about lost ancient cities that had seemed to disappear from the world all together. After getting thrown through the gate into this new world, his only goal was to somehow find a way back to his friends and family. So far it had been completely unsuccessful.

Which led to train ride 113. He had crossed all over Europe, speaking with scientist and philosophers, trying to see if their research had any promise, or if it was as futile as everyone else's. There were a few interesting ideas, but in the end, there didn't seem to be much that could get him closer to Amestris.

Edward was drawn out of his musings by a refined, but quiet voice, "Excuse me, I believe my seat is the one next to the window."

He looked up (not too far, damn it he wasn't short!) and saw a boy who looked to be fifteen or sixteen wearing a dark hooded jacket which covered most of his face and hair. The boy gave a quick grin, and with a shrug Ed nodded and moved so he could pass.

"I'm Christopher, Chris," the boy smiled, and held out his hand.

"Edward Elric," Ed shook it and moved back to his newspaper.

Chris smiled again, "Anything interesting going on?" he nodded at the paper in Ed's hand.

"Just a bunch of lunatics running around shouting about the end of the world," Ed groaned out, and finally decided the paper wasn't worth it, "You want it? I have some journals to look over."

The boy shrugged and Ed handed him the newspaper.

Both settled down for the long haul.

Allen Walker, or Christopher, as he was going by, took another quick glance at his traveling companion. The other teenager was probably around his age...well, he could only really tell from the facial structure as he was quite...short.

Allen glanced at the picture on the second page of the paper and winced. His own face was staring back, bold words underneath stating "Traitor of the Church, if found, do not engage." He winced at the words again and forced his breath calm.

The Order had decided he was better off dead. The Noah was too big of a risk, and with the power he held with his innocence there was too much at stake. There was supposed to be a trial, but Allen had known since the guards seized him and threw him into a cell that it was all a joke. He had hoped, prayed even, that someone would help him, that his friends would come down to his cell, and in the last second it would all work out.

No one came.

It was on the third day before his "trial" that he finally realized that he had to leave. A quick flick of his fingers and the lock was gone, another, and he had disappeared from the Order altogether. If the Order wasn't going to let him keep walking, he would just have to try it on his own. Again.

He had covered his scar with make-up, but had yet to dye his hair, thus the hood of the jacket that he had…found. Allen folded the paper up, making sure to hide his face, and pulled out a deck of cards. Somehow, even through all of the chaos, he still had Tyki's set. He thumbed through them and started shuffling and flipping them, not even paying attention as he watched the scenery go by.

"Hey."

Allen flinched and nearly started a game of 52 card pick up, but quickly stopped his fiddling and looked over at his seat partner.

Ed was smiling at him, with a lot more teeth than strictly necessary.

"Yes?" Allen hedged glancing at the other teenager, swearing he could see flames dancing in the background.

"You wanna play cards," Ed gestured at Allen's deck.

Allen's grin soon matched Ed's.

"Only if you are ready lose," Allen gracefully laid the cards out in front of them.

"As if."  
~~.~~  
"DAMN IT"

"And that looks like another win for me," Allen chuckled and gathered up the deck to reshuffle.

Ed grumbled and threw his hand down, he had lost again, and he knew that Chris was cheating, he just had to figure out how.

"Not fair, you have to be cheating, there is no way anyone can be that lucky!" Ed growled.

"I know you aren't good at cards, you don't need to take it out on other people," Allen grinned that evil smirk that Ed knew he would have nightmares about.

"I AM GOOD AT CARDS! LET'S GO, THIS TIME I DEAL!" Ed grabbed the deck and started to shuffle, movements awkward because of his right arm, but manageable enough.

"If you insist," Allen smiled and leaned back.

"Well look at this rowdy bunch," a voice near Ed had him turn around, a man was standing in the middle of the aisle, with two other men flanking his sides.

"You got room for three more?"

Ed and Allen looked at each other.

Instantaneous shudders were felt down the back of every Black Order member and Alchemist.

"Of course," Allen smiled wide, grabbing the deck from Ed, "Place your bets, gentleman.

They would never know what hit them.  
~~.~~  
20 minutes later and the three men were down to their undergarments, as well as owing Allen and Ed all of their first and second born children.

"You-you brats! Cheats!" the man who had first talked to them was now glaring down at them, his fists clenching.

"Now, now," Allen smiled, "you just seem to have some bad luck, want to try just one more round?"

Ed bit his lips to stop himself from outright cackling.

"You, you fucking emo brat, shut the hell up," the man roared, looking absolutely terrifying(not) in his skivvies.

Ed couldn't take it, he fell forward and howled with laughter.

The man whirled around and shouted, "Shut up midget I know yo-"

*WHAM*

Allen stared in shock as Ed suddenly sprang from his seat and kneed the (much) taller man in the face.

"Who are you calling a super ultra hyper midget who is so small that even if you stepped on him he would be able to hide in the grooves of the tread of your shoe!?" Ed yelled, seemingly at the world as the man fell down, most likely concussed.

Allen was really starting to like this guy.

The two other men looked in shock at their friend, and back to Edward.

Ed looked at the two of them, "Something you want to say?"

One of the minions scowled, "Yeah, no need to duck, shorty," and quickly tried to punch Edward in the face.

The other thug came at Allen with a slow, ungraceful, unsteady vengeance. Allen quickly stepped aside and used a light punch to the solar plexus and his opponent was down.

He glanced over at Ed to see the teen grab a marker from the inside of his coat and start doodling all over the downed men's faces.

Suddenly, they both heard a commotion from the adjacent train car, and shot looks at each other. During their fight, they had apparently reached a station, and soon people would be entering the car… which had three grown men knocked out on the floor.

Allen picked up his suitcase, lifted the window open, and neatly jumped out. He patted himself, and started to walk away when he heard another thump, and saw Edward manage to quickly shut the window and catch up to him. The boy grimaced as his left foot hit the ground, but ignored it and caught up to Allen.

"So Chris, any idea where we are?"

"Nope,honestly, I was just traveling to...wander I suppose, so I don't really care, you?"

"I was supposed to meet with someone...but I think I'll wait for tomorrow's train," They both quickened their pace as they heard the yelling from behind them.

"That is probably a good idea," Allen juggled his suitcase around, and looked toward the village. A quick glance at the sky shows that the afternoon light was already starting to fade.

"Probably need to see if there is any place left to stay here," Allen nodded towards the village and began to walk towards it, Ed following his footsteps.

It wasn't hard to find a small hotel, and both boys entered.

"Excuse me, Ma'am?" Allen called out to the middle aged women who was cleaning a small table.

"Can I help you dears?" The woman looked over at the two and stowed the rag away.

"Yes, ma'am, are there any rooms available for the night, my friend and I had a mishap with our train, and have to wait for tomorrow's," Allen smiled and the woman just laughed back.

"Of course dears, happens all the time," She moved behind desk and began to shift through papers.

"It looks like we only have one room left for tonight, boys, but it does have two beds if that works for you."

Allen looked back at Ed, who just shrugged.

"Works for me," Ed stepped forward.

"All right dears, here is the key, the room is 13, just down the hall." She handed over the bill to Allen, who paid the deposit from the wallet of one of the souls they had run into on the train.

"Thank you ma'am," Allen bowed and walked towards, the room.

Edward flopped on his bed and looked around the room, it wasn't to large, but the beds fit in well enough and there was more then enough space for the both of them. He grimaced as he felt his upper leg muscles twinge. His automail had definitely seen better days but with no one there to fix it, he just had to live with it.

Ed rolled off of the bed and landed on his feet, "I'm going to explore the town, see ya."

"Bye."

~~.~~

In the two hours that passed Ed managed to only get into two fights and spend half an hour discussing the finer mechanic of train engines. It had gotten dark suddenly, and he was headed back to the room.

"Excuse me, young man!"

Ed looked up to see an old woman approaching him.

"Yes?"

"You wouldn't have happened to have seen my darling Mimsy have you?" the old lady seemed to be peering around his shoulder down the street.

Ed looked back over his shoulder as well, the road was completely empty, "No, I haven't seen anything or anyone lately."

"Oh good," the old woman suddenly purred out, "the less witnesses the better."

Ed quickly jumped back, in time to see the old woman's skin fall into pieces and some kind of machine emerge from the shell.

"HOLD STILL HUMAN I'M FALLEN BEHIND ON KILLS LATELY!" The machine leveled a large cannon right at Edward.

 _'WHAAAAAAAAAT!'_ Ed mentally screeched, and propelled himself down a side alley, barely missing the bullet.

"Some kind of transfigured human, human transmutation-WHOA" Ed managed to twist his steps to evade the second bullet, and he noted that where it hit suddenly broke out into a pattern of pentagrams.

"There isn't any alchemy in this world, how can it exist!" Ed dodged two more bullets, before leveling himself up on a roof. He started leaping from one building to the next, gaining distance between him and the former human.

"BRAAAT!"

Edward took a quick glance over his shoulder, and slipped as his automail foot didn't fall properly. _'Shit, SHIT'_ he glanced back just in time to see the incoming bullet.

And then there was white.

"I'm surprised that you decided to come out of hiding, Akuma, you should have known better," a strong voice rang out.

With a flash the figure in the white cloth that had saved Ed's life sprung forward and stabbed the machine. The machine screeched, quieted, and then started to disintegrate.

The figure approached Ed, who levered himself up and took a defensive position.

"Who are you and what the hell was that?" Ed stated, holding himself up and ready to fight if necessary.

The figure quickly threw up his hands in the common gesture for surrender, "Ah..um..well..you...you're not hurt are you?" A surprisingly familiar voice rang out.

"Chris?!"


	2. Chapter 2

"So that thing is called an Akuma?" Ed was writing down all the details that Allen -not Chris- had explained to him.

"Yes," Allen nodded.

"Are they some kind of robot, but they seem to have their own mind," Ed trailed off.  _'Advanced science or some kind of transmutation, is it possible they were able to transmute the soul?'_

"No they are, were, they were...humans at one point," Allen said quietly.

Ed stopped his note taking and looked at the other, "What do you mean were?" _'Not human transmutation, not human transmutation, not again!'_

Allen sighed and scratched his hand through his hair, his hand which was now not a sword or a claw _'What about energy conservation? Where does the mass come from? Is the cross some kind of converter...'_

Allen closed his eyes and started speaking in a monotone, almost as if he had said this speech many times before, "The creature, like I said is an Akuma. They are weapons belonging to someone called the Millennium Earl. When someone dies, and someone close to them feels extreme amounts of sorrow, the Earl appears before them," Allen took a deep breath and looked into Edward's eyes, and Ed was shocked to see such similar pain and defeat that mirrored his own, "He appears before the person and asks if they want their precious one back. He says he can bring them back."

Ed snorted,"There must be a price."

A corner of Allen's mouth rose into a grimace, "There is. He does bring the person's soul back, but when he does he gets complete control over them. He stores the soul in some kind of machine, and when it is called back it is given one task. Kill the person who called it and take over their body."

Allen slumped back in his seat, "After that, all they do is kill and look for innocence, but the soul is still there still seeing everything, and it can't control itself. It is one of the worst kinds of fate I can think of…" Allen trailed off, staring out the window.

Ed felt himself still _'sorrow at someone's death...bring them back...Mom… if Al and I had been in this world, would we have tried it?'_ Ed started and looked back up at Allen's face.

"You listened to him, didn't you, this Earl?" Ed questioned, and Allen instantly looked back at him.

"Yes"

"Who -" Ed stopped, he wasn't good at this stuff, dammit, Al was always better with people.

Allen didn't respond for a time, but shrank into his chair and breathed out a sigh, "My father, my adoptive father more or less, he was all I had, and I was just a kid, I had no idea. And when the Earl called him back he cursed me, cursed me for making him an Akuma." suddenly Allen started scrubbing his face.

 _'Ack! No, not crying, please, please not crying, fuck!'_   Ed glanced around, but when his gaze landed back on Allen he noticed he wasn't crying. His eyes were red, well the area around one of them. It looked like some kind of scar trailed down his face, right over his left eye.

"This is the curse, " Allen sat back down and curled up, "but when he attacked me my innocence awoke, and I killed him, my own father who I had just brought back. And he thanked me for it." Allen let out a bark that was either a laugh or a sob. "but the curse stayed, I can see Akuma souls, always. No matter where I am I know who is an Akuma and I can see there pain, so far, I think I'm the only one…" Allen trailed off quietly.

"I…" Ed started and trailed off, but built up again, "I understand."

Allen looked up into Ed's face, and after a moment spoke out, "yeah…"

"You, you keep talking about innocence, what do you mean, certainly not the idea of purity?" Ed said after a moment, trying to move the conversation forward.

Allen smiled, relieved to move on from the previous point, "No, of course not," he had a small smile, "Innocence is an.. energy? a weapon? It is used to fight Akuma, my arm is one see?"

Allen pointed to the cross in his hand.

"Innocence can take many different forms, some, like mine are parasitic, meaning they are part of the person's body. There are others that are weapons, like swords, or even take the form of something normal , like boots. Each kind of innocence has an ability and if they are paired correctly, then they can become very powerful."

"So if you find this innocence, you can just use it?" Ed asked, leaning forward, _'maybe this is what I'm looking for?!'_

Allen quickly shook his head, "No, the innocence chooses who it goes to, and then the closer the person's goals, dreams, and soul line up with the innocence, the more powerful it becomes."

"Ah, maybe a genetic marker of some kind for compatibility," Ed started to murmur, "But I don't understand where the energy comes from, does it take it from you since it is connected to you?"

"Yeah, it does, actually, I usually have to eat a lot more than anyone else to keep my body working, especially since my innocence is very powerful," Allen smiled.

"hmm," Ed started scribbling noted down in his book… and then shot up again, "Wait, why did you call yourself Chris earlier, do people with innocence usually have to be undercover?"

Allen flinched, and Edward's eyebrows raised, "Um, no, not usually actually, well we call ourselves Exorcists, and at the moment...I'm not their favourite person." Allen stood up from his seat, "Um, I'm going to need to sleep, so sorry, um, goodnight!" and he practically threw himself into the bed and was out like a light.

Ed wrote down a bit more in his journal, and looked over at the younger boy. ' _Innocence, Akuma, some kind of society? Earl Millenium, ability to manipulate matter, this doesn't make sense, none of this is balanced! And what the hell was that! He just fell asleep. Very fishy, his society doesn't like him at the moment, and he said he is really powerful...gah! I need more facts.'_

Ed sighed and flopped down on his bed, still staring at Allen, _'Poor kid, he seems stuck in the same place Al and I were, at least we had each other, he seems to not have anyone.'_

_'...I could help him.'_

Ed jerked up in the bed and tensed, the entire time he had been stuck in this world he had only had one goal, get back home. But now...now he had met someone with such a similar tale to his own, his own eyes reflected back at him. His own wants, desires, failures, and pain. Secrets, power, and underlying feeling of...hopelessness underneath the need to continue forward. Ed sighed to himself, and looked over at Allen's sleeping form.

_'Fine, all right, I'll see if I can help the kid, a week, I'll travel with him for a week, and that is it!'_

~~.~~

Allen woke up the next morning, and looked over to see Edward still asleep. He went to the bathroom, and got ready for the day, quietly packing up his bag, and tiptoeing downstairs. He nodded to the lady at the desk, and quickly paced down the road back to the train station.

Ten minutes later, and he was seated on another random train, headed as far away from the Order as he could go.

"So, Italy huh, I haven't been there yet, any fun?" A voice smirked from the seat next to him.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Allen fell off the chair and slid to the ground, soon joined by Edward who was laughing hysterically.

"How did you get here? What in the world?"

Edward smiled and slid into the seat across from him, "Thought you could sneak away, haha, Edward Elric fake sleeping technique still works wonders!"

Allen clumsily heaved himself back up into his seat, "...not to be rude, but why did you pretend to be asleep?...Are you following me?"

Ed snickered and then kicked his legs up into the opposing seat (They barely made it, but they did) "Ah, well, I decided to take a break for a bit, and you seem interesting, so why not?" With that he grabbed a book out of his bag, hiding his face as he saw Allen face fault.

_'This vacation seems like a good idea after all.'_

_~~.~~_

"Edward?"

"Yes?"

"Why do you have a list of ways to torture a man called Roy Mustang?"

"Because he is an evil, womanizing, lay-about."

"...Want some help?"

~~.~~

"Hey Ed"

"Hmm?"

Allen shuffled a little bit, and then looked around at the papers surrounding Edward, "Can I help?

Ed looked up and smirked, "Only if you are prepared for an exponential increase in basic anatomy, biology, separate plane theories,metallurgy, and theoretical physics."

"Well, I'm not doing much else right now," Allen shrugged and plopped down next to Ed.

"Alright, first lets go over some basic equations, do you know how gravity works?"

~~.~~

"No"

"Yes"

"No"

"YES"

"NO...Don't give me that face... fine."

Allen grinned in triumph and dragged Edward to the circus.

~~.~~

'Next time I see him, Roy is going to cry,' Ed smirked as Allen showed him another new way to destroy the competition at cards.

~~.~~

Edward sighed and chucked a pillow at Allen, mainly, his grumbling stomach. You would think after two weeks he would have gotten used to it, but no. "Wake up, idiot, your stomach's about to eat itself!"

"Whaaa?"

~~.~~

A sigh escaped Allen as he dragged Edward away from an elderly couple who had called Allen a sweetie for taking his younger brother out on a trip with him.

He winced as he listened to the torrent of swear words burst from Edward's mouth.

He didn't notice and amused gleam in Ed's eyes.

~~.~~

Allen sighed, and moved his hair out of his eyes. It had grown way too quickly in the past few weeks, reaching down to just under his shoulders.

"Use this," Edward dropped a hair band on top of Allen's head, and the moved back to the strange contraption he had been playing with.

Allen quickly tied his hair in a ponytail, and continued to read over the biology book Ed had lent him.

~~.~~

"How come you always run into these Akuma?" Ed sighed as he quickly helped Allen bandage his side.

"I'm the only one who can actually see them, so I can help where others can't, and I can't let those souls be stuck in that hell," Allen sighed and smiled at Ed in thanks for the bandage.

Ed sighed again and shook his head, they were way too similar for his health.

"Ed, Ed! Are you al right?" Allen gripped his arm and helped him up.

"Fine," Ed glared at his leg. Damn it all.

"Sure you are, because people just randomly collapse in the middle of the street for no reason whatsoever," Allen replied with a cheerful grin on his face, and Ed flinched, it was _that_ smile.

"Fine, I'll..." Ed grimaced, "I'll tell you when we are inside."

Ed had not let Allen carry him into whatever room in whatever place they were staying for the night, he was fine! He could take care of himself thank you very much.

Ed settled himself on the side of a bed, while Allen pulled a chair over.

"Well, what is is?" Allen hedged.

Ed sighed, "I'll just show you all right?" Ed huffed and began unbuttoning his shirt. He let it hang open and then took off his boot. He then allowed his shirt to fall off of his right shoulder.

Allen stared at the metal that was connected to his flesh, "What, what are these?" Allen moved forward, but stopped to look at Edward before he touched them.

Ed sighed and grabbed Allen's hand with his automail one, "They are called automail, robotic pieces that I use to replace my arm and leg, and as you can tell they are really not common, here, so I have to hide them. Added to that is the fact I can't find anyone to fix them to me as I grow (yes he was growing damn it!) so my balance isn't that good."

Allen had been moving the digits and looking at the machinery while Ed spoke, but looked up after he finished. His gaze met Ed's and he quietly asked, "Why do you need them?"

Ed grimaced, "It's a long story…" He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Allen had told him his story, and it...it was only fair that Ed tell his. Equivalent Exchange and all that.

"I used to live with my mother, and my little brother Alphonse, Al is his nickname. My dad was never home, and our mother was all we had." Ed felt Allen settle next to him on the bed, and kept plowing forward, "She got sick, really sick, no one could help her, and then she died."

"Al and I didn't want to believe it, and we were always so smart, too smart, too full of ourselves to realize there are reasons why people don't do certain things," Ed laughed hollowly, "We thought we could bring her back through…. a ritual. An equivalent exchange of sorts. But we didn't realize that once someone is dead, you can't bring them back."

Ed stopped and Allen was silent, but still held Ed's hand, showing his support, "Well, we tried, and failed. Instead of our mother we brought back..something. A monster. And to pay for it took my leg, and,and it took Al." Ed's voice quavered, but suddenly became fierce, "And like hell I was going to let some bastard take my brother from me, so I went back and said I would give anything for my brother. It took my arm in exchange for his soul, and I put his soul inside a suit of armor that was there."

Allen said nothing, but waited as Ed caught his breath.

"After that, all I wanted was to help Al...to get his body back...and I think in the end I might have...but the price was that I was taken from them, from everybody, and I can't find them anymore." Ed ground the last part out and the was quiet.

"Is that why you keep going to all of these scientists, to find your brother?"

A nod.

Silence.

"We should check out China, they have some of the most advanced technologies in the world, and I met some very interesting people in India as well. America is up and coming at the moment so they might have something you are looking for. I have contacts who can get us into the States quite easily, they do owe me after all." Allen had gotten up from his seat and quickly started to jot down notes on a small piece of paper.

"In fact, we might want to start in America, it is a lot easier to move around and I speak the language…"

Ed looked shocked in Allen's direction, "What?"

Allen put the paper down, and smiled at Ed, "You don't mind if I come along, do you?"

"Of-of course not but...don't you have people here?" Ed blurted out, accidently asking the one question he had never been able to before.

Because it terrified him. Yes, Allen was weird, and quirky but he was good, and kind, and it was strange seeing him in the newspapers as some kind of threat, to see him not talk about any friends or anyone who would miss him.

"I…" Allen started, "They…" He shut his eyes and turned to face the wall.

Edward barely heard the next words, and when he recognized what they were he nearly knocked Allen over.

"At this point I think they would rather have me dead."

"WHAT?"

Ed grabbed Allen's shoulder and spun him around, "Explain, NOW." Allen flinched under his glare and Ed quickly let go, he didn't move back though, and looked straight into Allen's eyes.

"What kind of bastards want you dead, and how soon do you want me to deal with them?" Ed glared.

Allen just blinked, "What? But, why…"

Ed smirked, evil, EVIL, plots filling his head. It was too late, he was attached, this damn brat (he was to allowed to call him a brat, height had nothing to do with brattiness) that had same stupid complex that he did, and the same stupid naivety of Al. That was it, Ed was adopting him as an unofficial Elric. It was only fair after all.

"There is no "why?" There is only the fact that I know you are good, so anyone who want you dead is obviously either very stupid, or evil incarnate." Ed nodded to himself.

Allen just stared.

"Allen?"

No response.

"Hey Allen, you okay?".

"Why...why do you.." Allen couldn't seem to get the words past his throat.

Ed frowned, why wouldn't he fight for someone he believed in, someone he could admit was starting to feel like family? Family always came first in his book.

But the look on Allen's face said so much more then he seemed able to stutter out. It was the look of someone who had resigned themselves to fight alone. Forever. Someone who had never had anyone else to fall back to in times of pain, or to help them when they needed it. Yes, Ed had had a tough life, but he had Al, his little brother, who he knew would always be there when he needed it. Allen hadn't had anyone, and the more Ed thought the more angry he got.

Ed nodded to himself and then looked Allen in the eye, "Sucks to be you, but I have decided that you are an unofficial Elric, so you are stuck with me now, old man!"

Allen stared, grumbled at the insult, but then looked up at Ed again. "What do you mean?"

Ed moved back and flopped onto the bed, and Allen slid down the wall until he was sitting.

"I mean that, you just, you seem like and Elric, like me and Al, and you feel like family. So I decided that you would join ours. By the way you have no say in this so too bad," Ed smiled at the last part looking victorious. "Oh, and Al will completely agree with me, so once I find him I am dragging you along, especially since apparently some idiots want to kill you."

Allen looked to be in shock, but then a slow smile spread over his face. A small giggle burst out, and then laughter. Full joyous mirthful laughter filled the room. Tears streamed down his face, and he curled into himself. He heard the bed heave as a weight was lifted from it, and felt the warmth against his side as an arm draped over his shoulders.

"Thanks.." he murmured to his knees, and he could practically see the grin that was on Edward's face.

"No problem," Ed felt lighter than he had in a very long time, "now, I really want you to tell me about these idiots, and maybe there address and favourite foods...for research purposes of course."

Allen snorted and lent back.

"Fine"

The Millennium Earl. Noah. Neah. The fourteenth. Exorcists. Black Order. The Pope. Allen quietly explained everything to Ed. He took it with his usual...grace.

"So what you are saying is is that some bastard is trying to take over your body. You obviously do not want this, and neither does anyone else because he betrayed the Noah, and for some reason the Black Order thinks he is a threat to them."

A nod.

"What the fuck is wrong with those people!" Ed exploded.

Allen just shrugged, "I can see why they would be worried, I mean… I have a powerful innocence and if I lose…" Allen sighed.

Ed's eyes narrowed, going over likely situations, but suddenly froze, "Has he affected you at all these past couple weeks?"

Allen froze as well, "...no...I" suddenly Allen bolted into the bathroom. There was a shocked gasp and Ed sprinted in afterwards.

"Allen?"

"I don't understand, " Allen stared at himself in the glass, "he...he is just gone!"

"You mean he isn't in your reflection?" Ed questioned.

"Yes, and he hasn't been in a while I just didn't notice…" Allen trailed off.

"Could it be because you aren't interacting with the places and people that would cause him to awaken?" Ed asked.

"Maybe?"

"...so America?"

Ed and Allen grinned at each other.


	3. Chapter 3

"Shit shit shit shit!" Ed yelled as he dodged another bullet. The Earl had come for Allen earlier that day, followed by the entire Black Order. Ed had quickly been driven to the back lines as he still had no defense against the Akuma, and he knew that in this fight Allen would need to be completely focused. This didn't mean he wasn't doing anything, he had quickly decided to take out the gun wielding maniacs who were trying to shoot his brother instead of the monsters bent on world domination.

Priorities.

With an uppercut another grunt was flung to the ground. He spun low and hit another right where it hurt, causing him to keel over as well.

A loud crash filled the battle field, and Ed looked up in time to see Allen crossing blades with a fat clown…(Really? That is this supreme overlord that they are all terrified of?) With another smash both were flung back, Allen landing near Ed, and the Earl disappearing into the horizon. The Noah decided to retreat for some reason, but Ed knew the fight was far from over. He hurtled towards Allen, and placed himself protectively between him and the line of Exorcists that was approaching.

"Boy, move out of the way, " An old man with a strange mustache growled out.

"Yeah, no, fuck you," Ed just glared, and heard Allen start to try to get up.

"You are protecting an internationally wanted criminal, if you do not move, we will count you as an accomplice."

"heh, it's been a good while since I've been a wanted criminal, I sort of miss it." Ed smirked at the old fart.

Allen was struggling to get to his feet, he had to get up, he wasn't going to let Ed (his brother, he claimed, it was so hard to understand, but it just felt so right) get hurt because of him.

A bang suddenly came from the left, and everything stopped.

The entire crowd seemed to be shocked as the saw it ping harmlessly off of Ed's right arm.

Ed smirked, "Oops, looks like you failed now its my - erp!" and he felt himself being thrown back and the slamming of a door.

"What the?"

"Are you alright?" Allen's head appeared in his vision.

"Am I alright, I wasn't the one knocked to kingdom come, are you sure you still have a brain in there?"

"Hmm, your level of snark has gone down, you are obviously dramatically injured, "Allen smiled and pulled Edward up.

"Haha...where the hell are we?" Ed looked around at the white buildings and white walls that surrounded them.

"I think I might have taken us into the Ark, on accident," Allen murmured.

"The Ark?" Ed glanced around.

"Mmmm, it belongs to the Fourteenth so I...try not to use it, come on, I know a room we can go to where no one can get to us," Allen stood up and swayed a bit, but shook his head and started walking with Edward following behind. Suddenly Ed felt his head being pulled backwards,

"Ow, ow, ow, OW..." Ed tried to grab at whatever has holding his hair, but it soon gave up and Ed saw a flash of gold run into Allen.

"What the s-"

"TIMCANPYYY!" Allen grabbed the flying monster and held it close to his chest, tears all but pouring down his face, "Tim I missed you so much, and you grew again" Allen started to wail, and Ed could swear the golden.. thing was crying with him.

"Um.." with a flash Allen's face was back to normal, and the thing was flying next to his head.

"Edward, Timcanpy, he was my Master's golem, which he gave to me, Timcanpy, Edward...my brother, " Allen flushed a bit at the last part, but Edward smiled. Timcanpy seemed to look at Ed, and then bounced up and down. He started to fly down the street, and both Edward and Allen followed.

They had settled inside of a white room with a piano and a couch inside of it. With a single tap of the keys Allen made the door disappear.

"What is this, some kind of pocket dimension?" Edward looked in glee at the monitors on the wall, showing all the different places around them.

"I'm not sure, it is just a space that the Fourteenth made, it has the ability to open doors anywhere in the world, and all of it is connected in this central hub. There was a door at the order, that is why I didn't want to use it, but I guess since they are all in America it shouldn't be a problem…" Allen trailed off at the look on Ed's face.

"What?"

As Ed had heard Allen's explanation he felt his heart speed up. Could, could this possibly be…

"Do you think this can open a door to another dimension?" Ed looked straight at Allen, trying to hold his voice steady.

And in that moment Allen knew, "Another dimension...is that what you meant when you said you couldn't find them?" His eyes widened and he stared at the keyboard. "Maybe, I…"

Allen sat down on the piano bench. He looked up at Ed and gestured for him to join him.

Ed quickly slid into place, his hands all but twitching.

Allen closed his eyes, and gently placed his hands on the keyboard, "I think, I haven't tried this before, but I think I might be able to. I want you to think of a place in that world, one that you know inside out, it needs to be as solid a construct as you can possibly make it. Maybe, here put your hand on Tim too, that might help."

Ed watched as Timcanpy opened it's mouth (Holy shit where did it come from?!) and placed his hand on one of the folded up wings.

Ed closed his an instant he saw the outside of Winry's house. The fence made of stone and the porch, with Den waiting just off the path. The trees and the warmth of the wind, and the feeling of a place he could actually rest, the only place since he had burned down his own home.

"I'm ready," he said, and then he heard Allen start to play. The song melted around him as he focused solely on Amestris, on Winry's house, Winry, the old hag, and Al. He felt a smile come to his face at the thought of what their faces would look like. Winry would probably hit him and then cry, Grandma Pinako would start shouting, Al would just cry and yell, heh, he might be able to give Mustang a heart attack, the bastard, and maybe General Armst- lets not think about him.

Ed didn't notice that the song was finished until Allen shook his shoulder. Ed quickly opened his eyes, and both of them turned to stare at the door.

Ed quickly got up out of his seat, and marched forward. Nothing, not even his own nerves would stop him from this. Yet, when he hand rested on the doorknob his muscles froze. A hand landed on his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze, just enough for Edward to carefully relax his grip and and then forcefully kicked the door open.

And he fell to his knees.

It was real. The house stood large, and welcoming, with the lights on and the grass blowing in the wind. He heard Allen quickly crouch beside him, asking if he was okay, and all he could do was nod and give a smile, which quickly morphed into all out laughter.

He was home!


	4. Chapter 4

And then he was completely bowled over by a large dog.

"Den, DEN, calm down!" Edward laugh-cried and tried to wrestle the dog off of him.

Allen cackled a bit, which drew the dogs attention, giving Ed enough room to get out from underneath.

He quickly stood, and smiled at Den, who was sniffing Allen expectantly. He huffed and the bolted back to the house. Allen levered himself up as well and wiped dirt from his pants.

"So I take it that it worked."

"Yes," Ed smiled and then glanced at the door that was off of the side of the road…"Um.."

Allen smiled, "Don't worry, it can't be destroyed and only I can open it!"

Ed just nodded, and then began to move down the lane, Allen followed behind him, quietly, and Ed sighed out and grabbed his arm.

"Wha-?"

"You are family now, nothing is going to change that, so come on!" Ed all but marched Allen forward, smirking at the look on the younger teen's face.

They stopped in front of the door, with Den panting on the porch.

Ed glanced and then grimaced and looked at Allen, "I should warn you, Winry gets a bit...punch drunk when she is happy, or upset, or annoyed, or…"

It was Allen's turn to smirk as he quickly knocked on the door, breaking Edward out of his mumbles, "Well, you best get it over with then."

Edward gulped, and started to fidget as he heard someone moving down the stairs.

"This had better be important or I swear that I-"

Winry looked, good, her hair was in a messy ponytail, and was mostly covered in a bandanna. Her face and clothes were covered with grease, and she looked like she hadn't slept in days.

No, she didn't look good, she looked perfect.

She also looked like her eyes were about to pop out of her skull.

"Hi, Winry, I'm back," Ed smiled and then quickly fell over backwards as he was clobbered over the head with a wrench.

" You-you-you idiot!" and she flung herself on top of him, wailing the entire time. It was a good five minutes before she stifled her sobs and then pulled herself up, glaring at him.

"You better have a good explanation Edward Elric, or so help me-"

Ed gulped but stood up as well, "I swear I do, but first, Allen this is Winry, Winry this is Allen, I adopted him," Ed smirked at the last part and Allen groaned.

Winry looked him up and down, "Well, at least this one isn't a midget!"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY? DID YOU JUST CALL ME A MHMGMHMHM-" Ed was cut off as Winry placed her hands over his mouth.

"Well come in, Grandma is upstairs, so I'll call her down," She took a quick glance at Ed, "Al is in Central right now, I'll explain it all later." She opened the door and moved up the stairs, while Ed led Allen into the living room.

Allen sat down, and looked around nervously, the house seemed normal, but after travelling with Edward for so long, he was resigned with the fate of nothing making sense. _'Like I'm one to talk though,'_ Allen stifled a smile, and looked up to see Edward standing in front of the fireplace holding a picture frame.

Allen stood up and moved behind him. In his hand he held a picture of Winry, a very short old women with hair that stood straight up, and next to them stood a teen, with corn colored hair kept back in a ponytail. He had hazel eyes, but even though he was smiling in the picture, they held no mirth.

"That's Al," Edward whispered, his hands trembling, "it-it worked! He got his body back!"

Edward breathed out a large stuttered sigh, and carefully placed the picture back on the mantle.

"So, the microscopic midget returns," a voice called out from the hall.

"Who are you calling a microscopic midget, you knee-high old hag!" Edward spun around.

The old woman who was in the picture stood before them, looking very stern, and snapped out a reply, "Pint-sized brat."

"Undersized fart."

"Half-scale runt!"

Allen stared in shock and awe as the two continued to fire shouts of...puniness, at each other.

"She missed him," Allen turned around and saw Winry staring at the two with traces of tears in the corner of her eyes, "She hasn't been this happy in a long time." Winry then turned to look at him head on.

"Thank you," She smiled, and one tear slid down her cheek.

"I-I didn't do anything," Allen shook his head with a small smile, but Winry just sighed.

"Look, I have known Edward for all of my life, he is one of the largest troublemakers in the world!" She accented this point by waving the wrench she was still holding around, "If you have been travelling with him, it must have been insane, so I am going to say thank you again, and you are going to ACCEPT it, understood!" Winry finished with a flourish of the wrench right at Allen's head.

"Thank you."

"Y-You're welcome," Allen squeaked out, and suddenly an arm was around his shoulder, "Winry, not everyone is used to your violent personality, you should, ow-ow-OW" Edward moved away as Winry continually bonked him on the head with the wrench.

"Will you stop!" Ed called out as he started to jump over the couch, but he suddenly collapsed in a heap.

"Edward!" Winry ran forward, her eyes wide, but he just sat up with a wry grin

"So...would you be able to outfit me with some new automail. Look! I actually took care of these ones!" Ed held up his hand and then bit his lip, "And could you tell me about Al…and what happened?"

Winry stared at his arm, and grumbled a bit before starting to bound upstairs, "Let me grab my tools, then we can talk and work."

"Oi, old man hair," Allen jerked up, and then looked almost directly down at the diminutive woman, "Get comfy, this will be a while."

Allen smiled and nodded, "Thank you ma'am."

"See, shortstuff, you could learn from this one, he knows respect! Wait, what's your name?" Pinako ignored Edward shouting insults at her from his place on the couch and turned back to Allen.

"It's Allen," he smiled again and laughed out as Edward shouted, "ELRIC."

"Allen Elric,"Allen grinned and sat on a chair that was opposite the couch.


	5. Chapter 5

Allen tilted his head, and a small smile flitted over his face, "That is a good name..."he squirmed a little in his seat, causing Edward to raise an eyebrow. Allen grimaced and looked anywhere but at him, and spoke softly, "but...I made a promise...so I think...I might want to stay Allen Walker-if that's alright?" Allen looked up and was expected some kind of denial, but all he saw was a hint of acceptance, and perhaps even approval on Ed's face.

Ed then grinned, "...fine, unofficial official Elric!"

Allen laughed quietly and sunk back into the chair.

It wasn't that he didn't want to be related to Edward, far from it at this point, but even though Mana had ended up not being the person he thought he was(at all), he was still the one that set him on his path. He was the one he had made the promise to, and was the reason he had lived his life as he did. He couldn't just forget about that, no matter if he wasn't even in that world anymore.

Winry suddenly hopped down the stairs, her arms filled with tools, and something clenched tightly in her hand. Her lips quirked halfway up, but her eyes remained gentle.

"I've held on to this for you," Winry dumped her tools on the ground, and gently placed something in Edward's hand.

Ed snorted, "So this is where it was," Allen looked over to see a pocket watch held loosely in his palm. Ed closed his eyes and his face breathed out through his nose and tucked the watch into his back pocket.

"Thanks"

"No problem," Winry quietly replied with an understanding look on her face. She then huffed and plopped down onto the couch next to Ed, and started to grab her tools.

Allen cringed as he watch Edward's arm and leg removed, but noted that Edward just seemed completely uninterested in the matter.

"So, …Al? What happened when I was gone...in fact, how long was I gone?" Edward's gaze switched from Winry, who was setting the automail aside, to Pinako, who was messing around with some kind of animatronic.

"I-I don't know much really, just one day Al came back and he was him again. He stopped by to tell us about that, and to tell us that you had...disappeared." Winry's face scrunched, but she continued her work.

""He stayed here for about a month, his body was a mess, and he had to get used to fighting again, but after that, he went to go be a state alchemist-Oh- Mustang was made Fuhrer!"

Edward began choking on air, and bent over and started to wheeze.

"Yep."

"Mustang-Mustang who only wanted to become Fuhrer to make the uniform for women mini-skirts Mustang!" Edward sighed as he toppled back into the couch, " Damn, I owe him his money back now!"

Allen snorted.

Winry just rolled her eyes, "So, Al went back to be a State Alchemist, he stops by every once and a while."

"He misses you, a lot," Winry whispered out the last part, and Edward's fist tensed.

"And the last part? Winry, how long was I gone?"

Winry stayed silent, but a frown covered her face, it was Pinako who spoke up, "a year and a half, or around there."

Ed's entire body tensed, and he let out a hiss as Winry banged into the metal of his arm socket when he had frozen. His eyes grew wide and breathed out a short gasp.

"A year and a half," Ed cradled his head in his one hand, and no one in the room moved.

Then he started to laugh, loud raucous laughs echoed around the room. Then they cut off abruptly, with, if Edward had been a different person, what would have sounded like a whimper.

Allen looked and saw Winry's face furrowed with worry, and Pinako had a concerned look in her eyes as well. 'Should I do something?' He was startled out of his thoughts by a harsh breath.

Ed brought his head up, and breathed out again, and took a large inhale.

"A year and a half, huh," Ed gave a sorrowful smirk. He ran his hand through his ponytail.

"Well, I guess I will need to make up for lost time huh? "Ed nodded and gestured to where his arm and leg had been, "So, how long will it take to get replacements?"

Winry graciously went with the segway, "Oh, we already have them," she smiled, and opened the last case she had toted downstairs.

"I have grown you know!" Ed spoke, but Winry just glared at him.

"I know that you idiot, but I am your automail mechanic, of course I would be able to tell how you would grow!" Winry snarled and started to make some more measurements, "They are almost perfect, just a few minor tweaks and you will be set in about three days."

"...you made them for me even when I was gone?" Ed's voice was low.

Winry smiled, "Edward Elric, if there is one word that describes you it is stubborn, Al, myself, even Mustang knew you would be back. I think he has a betting pool set up in Central. Now stop moving, we are going to attach the limbs."

Ed grimaced and grabbed the edge of the couch.

"Old man, you can help here," Pinako looked over at Allen.

"Yes? How?"

"When we re-attach the limbs, it has to realign all of the nerves, and it will hurt. Ed needs to stay completely still, otherwise they might not attach properly. Normally, he is stubborn enough to ride it out, but it's been a while. I need you to hold his leg down and not let it move okay, kid?" Pinako spoke in a tone the brokered no denial.

Allen looked up at Edward, who grimaced, but nodded, "the sooner this is done with the sooner we can find Al and introduce you two."

Allen quickly stood, and walked over next to Edward. Winry helped him place his hands around the leg, and showed him how to splay his fingers to get the best grip to keep it from moving.

"All right, on the count of three," Winry and Pinako exchanged looked, "One-two-" both moved in tandem at two, and pushed the limbs into place.

Ed bucked, but Allen kept his grip firm as the automail twisted into place. Immediately Winry and Pinako began to finishing tightening it and Allen let go to give them room.

He looked up to see Ed's entire face was clenched in agony, but not a noise left his mouth.

"And done!" Winry sighed out, and wiped her forehead with her arm. She and Pinako moved back, and Ed breathed out long and low. He squirmed his way down the couch, and ended up laying on his side. His breaths were still low, and partially uneven, but Allen saw that neither Pinako or Winry was worried.

Pinako soon left the room, and Winry started to clean up the tools.

"May I help in some way?" Allen looked around the room.

"...It's a difficult job, one of the hardest, so far no one has really been able to do it," Winry spoke with a stern expression.

"...and what is it?" Allen replied with one eyebrow raised.

Winry smirked and pointed over her shoulder, "You have to keep him on bed rest for three days, good luck!"

She continued to smirk and grabbed the rest of her things, and disappeared up the stairs.

Pinako re-entered the room, and she had a large blanket with her. She threw it on top of Ed, but did smooth it out to cover him. Allen looked over to see he had completely fallen asleep.

"He won't wake up until tomorrow afternoon, we have some left over stew, and you can sleep in the boys old room upstairs," Pinako spoke into the quiet room.

"Ah, no it's fine, I have a -"

Pinako cut him off with a sharp gesture, but her eyes had a different emotion behind them.

"Ed is our family, mine, and Winry's, and if he says you are his family, enough to call you his brother, then you are our family too. Let's have some stew, and we can swap embarrassing stories of the things he has managed to get up to," Pinako turned and walked out of the room, probable towards the kitchen.

Allen stared awestruck, and then a smile spread over his entire face.

He walked over to the entrance of the room, and looked back at Ed's sleeping form,and quietly whispered, "Thank you."

~~.~~

"But I'm fine, honest, haven't felt this great in days, I can show you just let me-"

"No."

"They are just being paranoid, it usually takes me two days max-"

"No."

"I am the elder brother, and as such I have the abili-"

"Do we need a repeat of Moscow?"

"...fine, but only if you teach me some new ways to cheat at poker."

"That I can do."

"Mustang is so screwed!"

~~.~~

Ed grinned, after three long arduous days of torture, he was finally able to get up out of the bed. 'Allen may be kind and caring most of the time, but you have to watch out for his other face.'

Ed shivered, best not to think of the Moscow incident.

"All right!" Ed grinned and walked out to the yard, he turned around to face an amused looking Allen, "fight me."

Allen looked him over, "light spar for starters?"

Ed grinned, and lunged his arm headed for Allen's face. Allen swung around his arm, and used his momentum to try to elbow Ed in the back of the head, but Ed had followed his punch with a roll, and a flip to make him face back towards Allen, where he lunged low and moved upward. Allen kicked out his legs, and used his (minor) height advantage to sweep out Ed's, but Ed jumped over it. However, Allen's leg sweep was followed by a quick upward punch, which Ed caught in his hand, and vaulted over Allen.

Allen attacked before Edward had even touched the ground. He spun and lashed out with a forearm to Ed's head, which was then blocked, but he followed it with another leg sweep, that did hit. Ed fell to the ground, but rolled again, and moved forward with a kick of his own.

They fought for an hour, both landing some blows, both using styles that used many dodging techniques, and movements that would allow for their smaller bodies to repay a blow with maximum force.

In the end, Ed was able to grab Allen and throw him over his back, with both of them landing on the ground with a loud thump.

"A-And I- won," Ed panted out with a happy note.

"When we- have our rematch- with your al-chemy and my powers-huu-I will totally- win," Allen breathed in short gasps.

Allen levered himself up, and dusted off his pants. Ed rocked his body forward and jumped up from the ground with a grin.

"This means we can go now!" Ed smiled widely.

"To Central?"

"There is a train that will leave tonight," Ed trailed off and looked at Allen with a raised eyebrow.

"It has been a while since we caused chaos on the railway, after you," Allen grinned, and Ed smiled in response.

"But before we go, I need to stop by the Ark," Ed looked at Allen questioningly.

Allen gave a sheepish grin, "I left Tim in there, so he wouldn't catch attention, but I can't just leave him there…"

Ed smirked, "Fine, one pet pick up, and then, Central."


	6. Chapter 6

"Tim! Timcanpy!" Allen bustled down the aisle of the train, trying to find his wayward golem. Honestly, sometimes he wondered how Tim managed to get into so much trouble.

Edward had remained in the private room they had managed to get, he was fidgeting in his seat, but Allen knew he needed some time alone with his thoughts. Allen stopped and moved to the side of the hallway and his face fell just a bit.

He was nervous, no maybe scared was the proper term, for all the promises Ed had given him, he didn't know what would happen when Ed was back with his real family. Allen worried his lip, but resolutely moved on, he would just focus on what happened when it happened.

He continued to move down the carriage, and opened the door to the outside railing of the last car. He sighed with relief as he saw Tim resting on the hands of a man who was leaning on the railing. He couldn't make out the man's face because he had a low hood covering it.

"Ah, excuse me, but that is mine," Allen made his presence known, but the man turned around without flinching, making Allen wonder if he had known he had been there the entire time.

"Is it...what is it?" The man prodded at one of Tim's wings, which made the golem open his mouth in reply, startling the man. Tim flew back and landed on Allen's head.

"His name is Tim-Timcanpy, he is a golem... a friend explained it to me as a source-receiver system in a biological base, but then he got really off tangent, so I'm not sure…" Allen petered off with a light cough, "Anyway, sorry if he bothered you."

The man was quiet for a time, " No problem, he is very interesting, just came flying out of nowhere and landed on the railing. It seemed like he was staring…"

Allen sighed, "Tim gets into so much trouble sometimes, I swear he goes out of his way to get eaten by cats…" an abrupt laugh suddenly broke through the atmosphere, and Allen looked up sharply at the teen, for what kind of grown man laughed like that, folded over.

"Eaten? By cats?" The teen gave another small giggle. He straightened up, and Allen saw the smile on the part of his face that wasn't covered, "Doesn't he have defense systems?"

Allen grinned, "Yeah, me."

A snort followed this statement, but then the teen turned back to watch the countryside roll by. Allen fidgeted at the sense of melancholy, "Are...are you alright?"

The teen turned around abruptly, "Oh,yes, I- it's nothing no worries." Allen nodded in response.

"Well, thank you again for making sure he didn't get ea-"

A large explosion from one of the first trains split through the peaceful atmosphere. Allen turned around with wide eyes, and he heard a groan from the teen behind him, and swore he heard a low mutter of "trains, why is it always trains!"

"I-I need to go," Allen began to bolt towards the inside of the train, but the other teen grabbed his hand.

"Wait! What do you think you are doing? I am a State Alchemist, let me handle this, stay down."

Allen gave him a fierce look, "Someone important to me is on this train, and he is probably right in the middle of the chaos knowing him, I can defend myself."

The teen might have been giving Allen an assessing look, but then the figure shrugged. "Do you have a weapon?"

"Always"

"Stay behind me, I don't want anyone getting hurt," The teen moved in front of Allen and walked back into the train.

~~.~~

Ed sat on the bench with his eyes trained on the scenery flashing by. He grimaced and shook his head trying to rid himself of all the doubts that had filled his mind.

What if Al wasn't there? What if something had happened on the missions he had been on? Had he changed?

Would he still want Ed back?

Ed jumped up and paced in the small compartment, making a few circuits before deciding he needed to get some fresh air, maybe help Allen find his golem. He opened the door and came face to face with a gun.

The last thing the train jacker saw was a wide smirk and a knee travelling very quickly towards his face.

Stress relief

~..~

Allen watched as the teen in front of him moved with grace and purpose down the train cars. He had one hand propped up against the wall, but it didn't seem to be for balance. Along the way he pulled out a pocket watch, the same kind that Ed had, and showed it to people and told them to remain calm and in their seats.

He suddenly stopped outside one of the entrances to the train car, "There are men with guns in the next car, can you truly defend yourself?"

Allen startled, "How can you tell?"

"I can… project my senses, more or less, into some surfaces. Later, can you defend yourself?"

"Absolutely."

The teen squirmed his shoulders a bit, looking uneasy but then sighed, "All right then."

The teen burst through the door with a resounding clap of his hands, which then hit the wall to create a barrier out of the metal of the walls. A spattering of gunfire went off, and then curses followed as the men saw the wall of metal. The teen pushed his hands onto the ground, and more curses appeared from the other side of the metal barrier. Then silence. The wall slowly melted back into the surrounding carriage, and Allen was shocked to see the three men tightly bound with metal holding them together in a full bind.

The teen stepped forward and took off his hood.

"I, Alphonse Elric, Steel Soul Alchemist, arrest you in the name of the Fuhrer. You will be apprehended when we reach our final destination and face trial, 30 years is a standard time in jail, but may be shortened if you tell me about your accomplices."

The smallest of the three snorted, "Not telling you anything, you government dog", and spat on the ground.

Alphonse grimaced, but stepped back in shock as the boy who had followed him down the train stepped forward.

The shock wasn't really at the stepping forward, more of towards the fact that his hand was clawed and splayed out menacingly towards the downed men.

"You might just want to rethink that talk, right?" The claw stretched out and rested right on the man's cheek. Alphonse couldn't see the other teens face, but the men paled and immediately started saying a list of names and places on the train.

Alphonse nodded and got ready to move forwards, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

"Did...did you say Elric?" The tone was quiet and pensive, and Alphonse looked up, ready to see the pity on the teen's face, because everyone knew. Everyone knew that his brother had sacrificed himself for their world. That his brother was gone. Everyone knew...and everyone gave him the same look.

Or at least they had. Joy, fear, mirth, relief, so many emotions flickered through the other teens eyes that Al was shocked.

"You are! Oh..OH! I'm Allen Walker, and we NEED to get down to at least the third car, maybe further if he hasn't gotten into trouble, I mean the explosion was probably him but…" Allen broke off a the strange look Al was giving him.

"Right-sorry-the person I was travelling with, it's your brother, Edward Elric."

~~.~~

Edward Elric moved towards the first train car with a wry look on his face. It seems this ride to Central was very reminiscent of his first...only last time he had…

Ed shook his head and peaked through the window to the Engine Room, but cursed as something grabbed his hair.

"Tim, what are you-"

Edward had swirled around to attack the offending creature, only to stop fully at the sight in front of him.

Allen stood with a wide grin that nearly split his face, and was pushing someone forward.

Someone very, very familiar.

"A-Al" Ed stuttered out, and tried to move forward, but his joints seem to lock into place.

Silence followed his call, but the face, the face that he would know anywhere shuttered, and then grew tight.

"Nii-san?" was the quiet reply, and then Ed nearly toppled over as he was rammed into, but he managed to turn and slide down the wall, as to not fall into the engine room.

He barely noticed as Allen walked by and placed a hand on his shoulder, before entering the engine room himself.

"Nii-san, nii-san…"Al was clutching Edward tight, nearly crushing him, but Ed didn't care. He grabbed his brother back just as tight, and it was...

Warm.

Al had his body back...Al was there. Ed let out a small sound, and for the first time in a awfully long time, he allowed himself to cry.

"Al"

"You, you came back." Alphonse regripped his jacket ( not the red one, but good enough for now)

"O-of course I did, like hell I would leave you behind!" Ed replied, his tone watery.

"Nii-san no baka"

"...yeah."

~~.~~

Allen had quickly incapacitated the train jackers, but lent against the door to allow the brothers some time. He felt like crying tears of pure joy, honestly. The look on Edward's face when he had seen Al was...something he could never forget.

Even if he was no longer part of that family, he could feel pure joy just by helping the one who had helped him so much.

He smiled again, and drew a large breathe in. Which was unfortunate because the door behind him slid away and he fell backwards, almost toppling onto the ground before hands reached out and grabbed him.

"Brat," a familiar voice spoke, but it had a hitched manner to it, "Why would you lean against the door?"

Allen turned around, with his mouth half up in a smile, "Didn't want to bother you…" He was cut off as Ed grabbed him in a hug, and quietly almost silently, spoke.

"Thank you."

Allen flushed, "Umm...I'm going to go make sure that the passengers are alright?"

Ed gave him a glare, but Allen just smiled in response, "I think you have some catching up to do," and he waved as he walked away.

~~.~~

Ed and Al moved back to Ed's private room. They both stared at each other as if they couldn't believe the other existed.

Al was the first to break the silence, "Mustang is going to keel over when he sees you."

Ed gave a lopsided smile, "Good, that bastard needs to be shaken up ." They both smiled at that, but the quiet was trying to invade again.

"What...what have you been doing?" Ed leaned back onto the bench.

Al shrugged, "When...when I woke up, I was human again. I had gotten picked up by Mustang, and he pretty much made me a state alchemist on the spot," there was a small grin there, "the Steel Soul Alchemist."

Ed gave a small laugh, "So Full Metal and Steel Soul huh?"

Al grinned, "After being in that suit, I guess I just gained the ability to move some of my senses around, sort of like a monitor, so I can look into areas I'm not in, Its really useful; anyway, my mission as a state alchemist was to find a missing alchemist and bring him back to headquarters, along with any other duties I could find," Al smiled outright at this, "Seems its finally done."

Ed huffed.

Al continued, "I stopped by Grandma's for a while, but I decided to explore to see if I could find the other homunculi, or any signs of where you had gone, but they have all disappeared," he frowned here, "I'm worried about that…"

He shook his head and moved on, "I was actually just coming back from a visit to that old mining town, remember? The one where they wouldn't let you stay in the inn?"

Ed smiled, "Yes, I certainly remember that place, those bastards. How are they?"

Al shrugged, "Alright, a bit of a mess because they were pissed you left, but they are good people." Al paused, "What happened to you, nii-san? When you...disappeared?"

Ed rested his hands on his knees, "It seems there are multiple dimensions out there, and I fell into a different one. It was around the same time as here, maybe a few years younger, but there was no such thing as alchemy!" Ed gestured with violently with his hands, "I couldn't do anything there, so I spent my time trying to see if anyone there had ideas about switching worlds. I was also trying to find Envy, and ...Hohenheim. Anyway, I was wondering around for a while, in this place called Germany, when I ran into that brat earlier, Allen. Well, he called himself Chris, but anyway. We ended up getting into a small fight on the train with some thugs-"

"Nii-san!"

Ed smiled, "So we got stuck in some town together, and that is when I found the major differences between our worlds, in this world we have Alchemists, in that world they have Exorcists."

Al perked up at those words, "Is that why his hand became clawed?"

Ed tilted his head, "Hmm, he can still use his innocence in this world huh, well that is useful…"

"Nii-san…"

"Right, Exorcists are people who somehow have the ability to fight these things called Akuma…" Ed's face pinched, and his toine quieted, "From what Allen told me...there is this guy called the Millenium Earl, and he looks like a fucking clown! Who goes around to people who have had important people die...and tells them he can bring them back."

Al's face dropped.

Ed continued on, "Of course there is a price, he uses some machine as a body, he does bring back the soul...but he can control it. He makes the soul kill the person who brings it back, and they take over the person's body...making a demon...an akuma."

Ed ran a hand through his hair, "It's almost the opposite of here, there you get the soul, here you can get a form." Ed shivered.

"Anyway-Exorcists kill Akuma, and that was Allen's job...before a few incidents came up." Ed held up his hands to stem the flow of questions that he knew Al would ask, "Ask him,if you really want to know...that's his story…"

"So I travelled with him for a while, and we got in a bit of trouble here and there…"

A raised eyebrow from Al was the only response.

"There was this big fight with Allen and the Millenium Earl, and to escape he threw us into something he called the Ark," here Ed's eyes brightened and he sprung up from the bench and started to pace, "It's amazing Al! A pocket dimension, anything he wants, he can create, I don't know the limits, and he can create doors to anywhere!" Ed spun to face Al, "So he made a door to Winry's and that is how we got here."

Ed sat down with a smirk. Al's eyes were wide,"A pocket dimension? How...what about the laws of physics? How does it even exist?"

Ed smiled, "Dunno, I'm going to ask him if I can see the inside again…" Ed stopped suddenly and straightened in his seat.

"I guess there is something I need to tell you about Allen after all…" Ed took a breathe, trying to find the best way to phrase his thoughts, "when I ran into him...he was all alone; he helped me for no reason what-so-ever, and showed me how that world worked. The more time I spent with him, the more I realized how...similar he was to us."

"Similar? What do you mean by..." Al looked into Ed's brother was the one everyone called a genius, and Al was quite smart himself, but what he was best at was knowing people. His eyes widened.

"...the Earl came to him, didn't he." Al spoke, and Ed nodded in response.

"His father figure died," Ed replied.

"But how did he...the innocence?"

"From what he said, having the Akuma of his dad trying to kill him woke it up…" Ed grimaced, "So he had to kill his dad."

The carriage remained quiet for a time, but then Ed began to speak again, "So, we travelled together, and he just...seemed so similar...and so alone that I…"

Ed shuffled in his seat, and then blurted out, "IdecidedtoadopthimasanElric."

Al tilted his head in confusion, but soon understood what his brother had said, "Eh?"

"I just, couldn't leave him alone you see? His life was crap, and all the people who should have been taking care of him were bastards, and he just...reminded me of us…"

Ed took a breath, and looked up, "He just fit you know? Like he should have been with us all along...is...is that alright?"

Al stared at his older brother, and then thought back to the teen he had been working with earlier.

'He...seems nice, I guess, and he and Nii-san seem to get along,' A small seed of jealousy sat in Al's stomach, 'We did work well together...' Al's mind drifted back to when the teen had started at his name, the look of both joy and fear in his eyes.

"Why him?" was what Al finally asked, giving none of his emotions away.

Ed shrugged, "My gut."

Al let out a small laugh, and leaned back in his chair.

"I guess...I could try to get to know him…"

Ed smiled.


	7. Chapter 7

Mustang sighed and scratched his head, giving a nod to some of the people in the hall as he walked past. Who knew how much paperwork he would have to do when he was made Fuhrer. He rifled through the reports that were in his hand again, and smirked. It seemed someone had tried to raid a train to Central,again. The same train a certain Steel Soul Alchemist had been on. He stifled a smile as he read over the reports of the men's insane babblings afterwards. Demons, and midgets… his smile faded away, and he continued to walk back to his office, holding one piece of paper with some small notes on it.

"...fucking midget blew up the car and then fucking disappeared like a ghost!"

"-knocked out from being what seems to be kneed in the face, only remembrance of attacker was blond haired child."

"-heard this loud clapping noise, then an explosion-"

Mustang stared at the notes, and gave a silent wave to Hawkeye, who was sitting at her desk outside his office.

According to the reports, Alphonse had started from the back of the train, and these were all caused by a separate perpetrator. His eyes took on a flinty tone, and he sighed as he went into his office and sat down in the leather chair. He put the reports down to the side, where he could read over them later, and went to grab a pen, when he froze, swearing he saw something out of the corner of his eye.

A quick glance around his office proved to him that it was empty, and so he continued signing form after form (only after Hawkeye had read through them, of course). He heard a crack, and jolted in his seat, turning around to find that one of the windows was now left open. He gave another quick scan of the room, and closed the window, locking it tight.

He returned to his seat, and began to pick up his pen, when he noticed a small amount of change left on his desk, that most definitely had NOT been there before. He walked towards the door to his office, and poked his head out.

"Has anyone come by?" He peered down the hallway.

"No, sir." Hawkeye gave him a strange look, and then continued on with her work.

Mustang rubbed a hand over his face, "must be all the paperwork, I never have time for fun anymore, can't even pass that law about the miniskirts-" With the last statement, a bullet came very close to hitting him in the head.

He sighed again, and went back into his office.

And froze as he saw who was sitting in his chair.

"Miss me?"

~~.~~

Hawkeye started as she swore she heard a girlish shriek coming from Mustang's office, and jumped out of her seat when she saw the flash-bang of Mustang's alchemy. She was about to wrench open the door, when a hand landed on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, its just a bit of a prank," the Steel Soul alchemist smiled at her, and then went into the office. She followed right behind him.

And stopped completely dead at the sight in front of her. The entire room was burnt, smolders of paperwork and ornamental odds and ends littered the ground, like offerings to some greater being. A strange boy, all dressed in white, and seeming to prop himself off of the ceiling with some kind of cloak, was giggling hysterically. Fuhrer Mustang-looking much worse for the wear- was backed up against one of the bookshelves, his eyes wide and face uncharacteristically shocked, and sitting, almost hunched over at his desk, laughing so hard he was having to lean over to control himself, was someone she had almost dare not hope to see again.

"Fullmetal!?"

Edward looked up at her, and the grin on his face spread even further, "Hello, lieutenant-wait, no it's Colonel now isn't it- I'm back!"

"Nii-san," Al walked forward with a sigh and stared at the office.

"What, it was him! Not me!"

Edward pointed at Mustang, who had finally drawn himself back up, and was glaring at the boy.

"Shrimp-" he said with a growl, and Ed and Al shared a terse look.

"Umm, Allen, time to go?" Ed looked up at the boy who had lowered himself to the floor, and right as Mustang lunged, the cloak he was wearing seemed to come alive and grab both Ed and Al, who then disappeared out the window.

"Catch me if you can, BASTARD FUHRER!"

"Hawkeye. I'm going out," and Mustang bolted past her not even putting on his jacket.

Hawkeye gave a small sigh, and then moved over to the phone, she dialed and spoke when it rang, "Havoc? Yes, I need to get into contact with-"

~~.~~

"Shit, he is still after us!" Edward yelled out, the wide grin on his face detracting from the severity of the statement.

"Nii-san! I told you it was a bad idea!" Al called out, looking back over his shoulder with wide eyes.

"...that's all lot of fire" Allen spoke from nearby, all three of them running haphazardly through the Central grounds.

Ed let out a large laugh, "You can't catch me, bastard!" and then ran into a brick wall. A brick wall with sparkles.

He stared up in complete and utter horror, and was met with a waterfall of tears.

"Edward Elric!"

Allen stared in shock as Ed was picked up by the man who had now torn his shirt off, "Um...is that…" he turned to look questioningly at Alphonse, who just gave a smile.

"That's General Armstrong...he is a bit…" Al broke off to flinch as Ed repeatedly tried to break free.

"Well, well, well," a voice grumbled from behind them, "Good catch, General, that shrimp has a report to turn in."

Al turned around, "Ah, good afternoon, Fuhrer."

Mustang had a smirk on his face,and nodded to was holding himself with poise, which did not compliment the fact that he looked completely dishevelled after chasing them around the grounds for the past twenty minutes.

"Hand over my subordinate, General, I believe he has a report that is long overdue," He then turned to stare at Allen, who had deactivated his innocence, though he did still have an innocent smile on his face, "And you, name."

Allen gave him a bow, and Al swore he saw the innocent grin switch to an evil smirk when his face was out of view, but when he straightened the grin was back on, "Allen Walker, pleasure to meet you."

Mustang gave him a long look, and then sighed, "All of you, office, now. It seems you know where it is already." He then turned on his heel, and started to walk away, but called back, "and walk fast, shrimp, with those legs I know you can't keep up."

A wordless howl of rage came from Edward, startling both Al and Allen, and they watched in tandem as he hurtled past them.

They both turned and stared at each other, sharing an exasperated look, before Allen flushed and turn his head away and Al moved his gaze. There was no time for awkwardness, however; well, there was time for even more awkwardness as General Armstrong strong armed them both and began to lug them to Mustang's office.

"Ah, Alphonse, you must be so happy to have your brother back, and he seems to have been eating well," The General sniffed as he spoke, tears still streaming down his face, "and who might you be young man?"

"A-allen Walker," Allen stuttered out as he hung limply from the mans arm.

"Then it is a pleasure, Allen Walker."

Allen flushed a little, and he and Al shared another conspiratorial look, and allowed themselves to be lugged back to the office they had just come from.

General Armstrong burst into the Fuhrer office, and the teens found it full to the brim with people. Al gave out a small laugh as Armstrong gently placed him and Allen down.

Ed was sat on the couch with a wide eyed look on his face, as Fuery, Havoc, and Ross smothered him. Hawkeye was standing nearby with a wide smile, and Hayate was sitting on Ed's lap, stopping him from moving. Breda and Falman stood nearby as well, hiding grins as Mustang and Ed continued to have there shouting match, despite the seating arrangement.

_-"It was you in my office, huh,no wonder I didn't notice, you are so short I must have gazed right over you."_

_-"Who are you calling a pipsqueak so close to the ground that he is the height of a worm!"_

"Al," Hawkeye gave him a smile, and motioned for the two to come closer, "How are you?"

Al gave a wide smile in response, "Good, really good, thank you,"

_-"You better have a good reason for staying away so long, shrimp! Was it because your legs are so short you couldn't even get anywhere?"_

_-"I AM NOT SHORT! What about you useless bastard, still can't even go outside in the rain!"_

The door slammed open, and a very exhausted Sheska, followed by Second Lieutenant Brosh, rushed through, and then joined in the dog pile on the couch.

There was shouting and tears, though it was all drowned out by the back and forth banter that echoed across the room.

_\- "Now, now Fullmetal, that was low blow,and you would know all about those, of course."_

_-"I bet you wouldn't have lasted a day where I was, the minute it would start to rain you would just melt!"_

_-"Just get on with the explanation, Fullmetal. Keep it short and simple, like yourself.*sigh* you were probably just so puny no one even noticed you had come back..."_

"I WAS IN ANOTHER WORLD-BASTARD!"

With that loud shout all of the voices suddenly quieted, and the room fell into a hush.

"Forgive me if I highly doubt that," Mustang raised an eyebrow.

"It was like this one, only behind by a few years," Ed stated with a roll of his eyes, "Except there was no alchemy there, so I couldn't get home that easily."

"How did you get home?" Sheska questioned.

"Allen," Ed pointed his finger at the figure who flushed under all of the attention.

Everyone in the room was staring at the boy, who some had just recognized to be in the room, with skepticism.

"Is this true?" Mustang raised an eyebrow.

"Ah-yes...sir." Allen twitched his shoulders under all the gazes.

"How?"

Allen let out a quick breath and drew himself together, "I have access to a-" he looked at Ed, and then nodded- "dimensional pocket? I can create doors and have them lead to places I want to go, so I helped Ed make a door back here…" he shrugged, "In my world we may not have alchemy, but we do have other abilities."

"Is that what you were doing earlier?" Hawkeye questioned, and Allen nodded.

Mustang tilted his head down into his palms, and pinched his fingers over the crest of his nose, "How do you always manage to get into so much trouble?"

Ed gave a wide grin and sagged back into the seat, still being smothered by a number of bodies.

Hawkeye then moved forward, "Al, I know you don't really keep anything in your dorm room, so I have located a three bedroom dorm set up for you all," she placed the set of keys in Al's hands.

Mustang continued for her with a sigh, "You look exhausted, get some rest, and Fullmetal, be here bright and early, I want a full debrief, and later I want to talk to Mr. Walker as well."

Ed nodded, and was able to squirm his way out of the pile, and after one last enthusiastic hug from Armstrong, followed Al and Allen to the door.

"Oh, and Fullmetal?" Mustang called just as he was about to step outside the office.

Ed turned with a raised eyebrow, ready to respond in case of a fight.

"Welcome home," Mustang gave him a knowing smirk, and Ed quickly turned around to face away.

"...I'm glad to be back,Bastard" He said gruffly, and then marched away to join Al and Allen.

~~.~~

"Fuck, I'm going to be late! That bastard is going to kill me with paperwork, I just know it, bye Al, Allen!" and Ed rushed out the door, leaving the two to stare in shared disbelief at the retreating back.

Al let out a sigh, "nii-san…" and Allen gave a small laugh. The room quickly descended into an awkward silence.

Neither figured moved, Al was sat at one of the chairs, and Allen stood awkwardly next to the kitchen counter.

"I'm sorry." Allen broke through the silence with two whispered words.

Al looked up in confusion at the quiet words, and Allen moved to sit on the chair across from him.

"I-" Allen fidgeted a little, but drew a breath, "I…I think...I might be in a bad situation with you, and I'm sorry if I have caused you any problems...but" his voice broke into a whisper, "Ed is the only person who has ever… who I have left...so I am sorry if I am causing you any discomfort or anything...but…" Allen broke off, with a turn of his head, unable to find his words.

During Allen's ramblings, Al had easily felt that squirm of jealousy in his stomach flair, along with a multitude of other emotions. Surprise had been a large factor, as well as a hint of compassion for the stuttering teen.

"Nii-san didn't really tell me much about you, "Al replied with a wary look on his face, "He said it was your story to tell."

"I- would like to get to know you, and how you met nii-san," Al asked.

Allen looked up with shock, and the expression on his face mirrored the one Al had seen that confused him so on the train, a mix of emotions, and almost the sense of amazement at being given a chance he had never thought possible.

"What do you want to know?"

Al shrugged, "Whatever you want to tell."

Allen nodded, "Did...Ed tell you about exorcists?"

Al nodded, "He explained the basics-and your...father? But not very in depth." He said the last part quietly.

Allen nodded, "When I met Ed, I was running away from the Order-that is similar to you running away from the military I guess. There are these being in my world, called Noah. They control the akuma, and how they form is that they are reincarnated into humans, and slowly return to their forms, they are sort of immortal from what I can tell."

Al grimaced, mind going to the homunculi, but stayed silent as Allen talked.

"My...father,Mana, set me up to be possessed by one of them, the 14th Noah. The Noah are the enemies of my order...and so everyone became afraid that I would lose myself, and my abilities are not ...normal… so they decided the best thing to do was to lock me up for trial."

Allen rubbed his head, "But it was all a farce, they were going to pull a fake trial, and I knew they were just going to order me executed at the end. So I escaped, and ran as far away as I could." at this point, Allen stopped, and a small smile crossed his face, " I was on a train one day, trying to lay low, and I started a game of cards with a very sore loser. He kept losing every round, and swore I was cheating, which I was, but he was as well, so I didn't think it was that important…"

Al gave out a startled laugh, "I'm surprised Nii-san didn't try to kick you!"

Allen smiled as well, "He probably would have, but a bunch of idiots came into play as well, so we destroyed them instead."

"We left the train...inconspicuously, and stayed in a town for the night," Allen's face fell in memory, "Ed had gone out for a walk and few hours had passed, but I sensed an Akuma in the area."

"You can sense them?"

Allen gave a tired smile, and lifted up his bangs to show the scar covering his eye, "When I tried to bring Mana back, he cursed me, and now I can see the souls of the Akuma, it lets me know when some are in range as well."

Al nodded in understanding, and Allen continued, "I went after the Akuma, and killed it. It had been targeting Ed, but he had managed to almost outrun it."

Allen's gave a bemused smile, "the next morning, I left early so he wouldn't be caught with an international criminal, but he showed up on the train anyway."

Al laughed again, "Trying to tell nii-san what to do is impossible."

"I noticed," and Allen and Al shared a smile.

"After that we just ended up travelling together,"Al tone quieted once more, "I...I didn't have any family, before Mana, I think they abandoned me because of my arm...after Mana I traveled with Shishou…." a shudder ran down his spine, "and I do not want to remember those days,I was then sent to the Black Order, and I thought I had made friends there, but, I guess I was wrong about that...they all left me to die…" Al's face was pointed at the floor, trying not to see the emotions of the person across from him.

"Ed...saved me...he was the first person who stood by me, even when he heard my story, even when he saw the trouble I got in...and I just...couldn't lose that."

Allen looked up strength returning to his voice, "So I am sorry...if it seems if I was trying to ...replace you in your brother's affections. I am not, I swear...I just," his breath hitched, but he continued on, "...don't have anyone else…" Allen flailed his arms a bit, but then continued.

"So I understand if you want me to leave, just say the word and I-"

"Shut up," Al growled, and Allen's face blanched in an instant, his mouth snapping shut.

"Stand up," Al ordered again, and Allen stood quickly, his back tingling from moving from his hunched over position.

In a flash Al had moved over to him, and Allen didn't know what to expect so he stayed still.

A hand grabbed his wrist and pulled him towards the door, and he felt his heart clench.

"You haven't seen any parts of Central yet, right? We should look around so you can know where you are, and if you need anything, we can use my stipend until we figure something out."

Allen's heart froze, "Wha-"

"I trust nii-san more than anyone else in this entire world-worlds?" Al stumbled a bit, but finally looked back at Allen, a small smile on his face.

"I..honestly, I am - a bit jealous," Al rushed out, "but I should have known nii-san wouldn't do anything without a really good reason. So come on, there is an ice cream store that was on my list of foods to try that I haven't yet."

Al smiled slightly, and he changed the grip of his hand from grabbing Allen's wrist to his hand, and continued down the street, not remarking on the small sobs stuttering out behind him.

"-t-thank you, I-"

"No," Al tightened his grip, "thank you, for being with nii-san and protecting him, thank you for bringing him back...thank you" a small noise whispered past his lips, but he then gave out laugh.

"How..how can you both be so-" Allen's words failed him, and he looked up to see a small smile directed back at him.

"While we have our ice cream, you better tell me all the stupid things that you two did so I can yell at both of you."

Allen smiled, "The ice cream would be completely melted not even a quarter of the way through."

Al shrugged at this, "well, there are a bunch of other food places I need to try."


	8. Chapter 8

"How the fuck did you become Fuhrer in a year and a half?" Ed barged his way into Mustang's office (which was surprisingly burn free.)

Mustang doesn't even deign to look up from his paperwork, "Not how it works, Fullmetal, I ask questions first, you might get your answers, shortly."

Ed puffed up and grumbled, Mustang felt a smirk pull at his lips, and he settled back in his chair.

"Report. Now."

Ed grumbled, and then threw himself back into the couch that was placed to the side in the room, "You know, technically, I'm not even part of the military anymore, as I left this plane of existence, so I don't need to-"

"Fullmetal, if you do not start your report in the next few minutes, I will make sure the only drink served in the mess will be milk."

"Bastard, power has gone to your already inflated head," Ed sank even further into the couch, kicked up his feet onto the table in front of him, and began his report.

~~.~~

Roy looked up suddenly, and Ed stopped in his tracks.

"What?"

Roy leaned forward on his desk ,hands held under his chin, "This Black Order, who runs them."

Ed shrugged, "The Church is the head from what I have heard, but the Order seems to run a little independent of them."

Mustang nodded his eyes shadowed, "What age, would you say, that these exorcists you ran into were?"

Ed shrugged,"About the same as me from what I could tell."

"When did Mr. Walker's 'father' die."

"He said he was around 6, what is the point, Bastard Fuhrer," Ed spat out the last word, causing Mustang to raise an eyebrow.

"They are making child soldiers, Fullmetal."

Ed froze, but Mustang continued.

"From that point on, it sounds like he was told the only thing he could do was fight these demons. He was trained starting at age 6 to fight for his life. Even before that it sounds like this Mana Walker was already trying to control him. He was indoctrinated into an organization that taught him that his purpose was to destroy these akuma. There were adults, it seems, and yet the ones you say fought were all your age. He was taken in by his teacher, but would those kids have a choice if they did not want to enter? Could they be anything other than cannon fodder? You said it yourself, the instant the thought Mr. Walker could betray them, they turned their backs, because their tools was useless," Mustang rubbed his forehead with his gloved hand.

Ed collapsed back onto the couch, "Fuck."

Mustang nodded, "So they were all his age?"

"Yeah, some might have been there even longer, he also brought up human experimentation one time…"

Ed roughly ran his hand through his hair, "If I ever go the fuck back there they are all so dead. Why the fuck didn't I notice this?"

"Because you did the same thing Fullmetal, only you had a choice, so you couldn't see it clearly."

Mustang smirked again, but it soon faded, "You probably saved his life, helping him get out of there."

Ed shrugged in response, "and he has saved mine, equivalent exchange then."

Mustang nodded, and shuffled through his desk. He pulled out a packet, and threw it at Ed, who caught it with a huff.

"You haven't been here for your assessment to reinstate yourself as a State Alchemist, if you wish to do so, instructions are in that packet, you would be instated as a Lieutenant Colonel-"

Ed choked, "What?"

Mustang gave him a smirk, " -but your main missions would be to work as a field agent, directly under my is only if you accept, Ed."

Ed looked up in shock at the use of his actual name, and saw that Mustang was looking at him with a serious expression.

"This is your choice, if you want to come back, it doesn't have to be right away, I know you need time to settle," Mustang diverted his eyes and leaned back in the chair, "That being said, I wouldn't mind if you wanted to come back, though you were the most insubordinate, rude, and aggravating person I have ever had the pleasure of knowing."

Ed stared in shock, from the packet back to Mustang, who was pointedly not looking in his direction.

Ed stood the packet held loosely, and moved towards the door, "I told you from the start, once I got Al's body back, I was done being a dog of the military. That hasn't changed."

Ed opened the door, and then turned to look back at Mustang with a smirk, "However, working with you wouldn't be too bad, bastard."

And he slammed the door shut, a large grin sneaking over his face.

Hawkeye sighed, and he shrugged, "Technically still a civilian, I don't need to wait for him to dismiss me."

"Not like you did before anyway," a voice rang out from the door behind him, "and tell Mr. Walker I would like to talk to him as well."

Ed poked his head back inside Mustang's office, "One last thing, Fuhrer Mustang."

Mustang looked shocked at the proper title of address, before his eyes narrowed, "Yes?"

"The same warning I told you about messing with Al applies to Allen. And you do not want to learn what I can do with my alchemy now. I was some interesting things in that other world."

Mustang nodded, a smirk returning to his face, "Duly noted, Fullmetal."

Ed left with a rude gesture, and went to find his brothers.

'Wait, that shit never told me how he became Fuhrer!'

~~.~~

"-and after the fire finally went out, we had to leave the town dressed as nuns so they wouldn't look for us," Allen finished his story with a solemn nod, and grinned as Al repeatedly hit his head on the table.

"...the world is going to end, it is going to end," Al's head shot up, a large red mark glistening through his bangs, "You! You are just as bad at nii-san at getting into trouble!"

Allen shrugged, "...sometimes?"

"Should I tell Mustang to just give up any hopes of having a country by the end of the month, should I?" Al asked with all seriousness, and Allen's grin widened.

"Oi, I just got back, I'd try to leave it alone for at least three months," Ed dragged a chair from a nearby table, and dropped into it, "why am I destroying Amestris?"

"Allen was just telling me about some of your adventures...how can you get into so much trouble no matter where you go?" Al spoke in a resigned tone.

"And it is only going to get worse! There are three of us here now, with just pairs there was significant damage, three will bring the apocalypse," Al finished that statement as a whine, and allowed his head to fall back to the table.

Ed blinked, and a wide grin stretched over his face, 'three of us', it seems that Allen and Al had worked something out, at least.

He turned to look at Allen, who had a small grin on his face at the sight of Al, who was bemoaning fate, and then noticed Ed's attention.

"Yes?"

"Ah," Ed's mouth caught up with his thoughts, "the bastard wants to talk to you, but we can just chill here, no need to inflate his ego any larger."

Allen laughed, and shrugged, "No, I think I should go talk to him, and it would be easier to get it done now, wouldn't you agree?"

Al looked up at the strange tone Allen had used at the end of that sentence, and blanched at the maniacal looking grin that had formed on his face. He quickly whipped his head around, and saw a matching smile on Eds.

"That's it, I should move to Xing."

~~.~~

Allen shut the door behind him, and turned to face the man he had spent most of yesterday running away from.

Ed and Al hadn't been allowed to come in, and there was much grumbling in Ed's part, and a understanding look on Al's. Then one of the men Allen had met yesterday...Havoc? Came and dragged Ed and Al away.

"Sit down, Mr. Walker," the man at the desk pointed to the chair that rested directly in front of him.

"So, midget number one found a midget number two," Mustang gave him a once over, looking unimpressed.

"Now, now," a dark smile stretched over Allen's face, "that isn't very polite is it Fuhrer Mustang, we are here, after all to make each others acquaintance."

Mustang smirked internally.

"We have already made each others acquaintance, I believe, when you broke into my office, the Fuhrer's office."

Allen's eyes widened, and his smile disappeared, giving him an altogether innocent look, and then he shrugged, "It just shows that you need better guards, doesn't it."

The ball bounced back into Mustang's court.

"I have competent guards, ones who have been trained for many situations and weapons, guns, knives, alchemy, what you used was none of those, and I want to know what you can do," his voice brooked no arguments.

Allen nodded to that, and told the fuhrer the basics of the Crowned Clown.

A frown began to grace Mustang's face.

"Where do you get the energy?"

"Hmm?"

"For this 'innocence' doesn't it take a lot of energy?"

"Ah, yes, I have to eat a lot to make sure I can keep using it," Allen smiled in reply.

'That is not the whole truth,' Mustang thought, but moved on, 'I need to know how he reacts.'

"Why come here, what about the people in your world, won't there be some that will miss you?" Mustang watches as the boys eyes grow dim, but a mask is soon in place.

"Ah, yes probably, they must be terrified they can't find me...but I don't think it is for any good reasons…" Allen broke off.

"So you don't care about them?" Mustang spoke with a flat tone.

"Oh, no!" Allen's eyes widened with anxiety, and for the first time since the meeting Mustang was genuinely surprised, "No, I, I care about them, a lot..too much…"

Allen stayed quiet for a moment, and breathed out, "Even after all they did, I still care about them, and that world. I want to destroy the akuma, to save people who try to summon them, and the souls of the people they bring back, I...I know Ed won't like it, but I will go back someday and see if I can stop them."

"Then why did you come here?"

Allen smiled at that, as if it was the most obvious thing ever, which in truth, it was, "Ed."

Mustang rolled his eyes, a smirk on his face, "of course."

Allen shrugged, and his face went pensive, "I care about them...but I care about Ed a lot more...and I want to repay him."

"Repay him, for what? Being shorter than you so people don't pick on you as often?"

"Ah, is that ash in that planter over there? I bet if someone looked closely they would find it used to be a stack of reports wouldn't they?" Allen smiled again, and the two had a slight staring contest,

"He showed me what a family is," Allen finally mumbled.

Mustang sighed as well, "You got the bug too, didn't you?"

Allen just raised an eyebrow in question.

"The Elric bug, you know, where they end up stringing you along, and in the end you would do almost anything for them...though I guess you are one now as well."

Allen flushed, and muttered out a small, "Something like that."

Roy tapped his pen on the table, looking over the notes he made during the meeting.

"Come back here tomorrow, and papers will be set up for you to be able to legally move about the country. I would tell you to be on your best behavior, but you get along with Fullmetal, so I know that would never work."

Allen gave him a smile at this.

"Alright, get out of here, kid," Mustang gave a wave of his hand, and Allen rose from his seat, "try not to cause too much chaos in your first week here."

Mustang saw the slow dark smile flash across the kids face, and knew in an instant why he and Fullmetal got along so well, "Of course ,sir, you don't need to worry."

Allen gave him a bow, and then left the room closing the door lightly.

Mustang let out a bark of laughter, ''And I thought two Elrics were bad.'


	9. Chapter 9

"You are...General Armstrong, yes?" Allen glanced shyly up at the large man who had accosted him the minute he stepped out of the Fuhrer's office.

"Yes I am Alex Louis Armstrong, the Strong Arm Alchemist, I have perfected the Armstrong line alchemy, which has been passed down for generations!" The man replied, flexing his muscles whilst doing so.

Allen ignored the sparkles that were floating around the man, "Would you mind telling me where we are going?"

"Ah, yes, of course," Armstrong spoke, his mustache curving around the words, "With the joyous return of the Elric Family, an occasion must be made to celebrate! And this heartwarming occasion can not be complete without yourself, and my beautiful body."

The man then tore off his shirt, and Allen followed with a small smile on his lips.

"We are going to be late!" Armstrong suddenly spoke, "We must hurry!"

Allen yelped as he was once again hauled up into the large mans arms, " You really don't need to -oh god," Allen closed his mouth.

"No need to worry! This method of short-distance running has been passed down the Armstrong line for generations," Armstrong sprinted forward, and Allen listed in his arms.

'Gonna be sick.'

A large crash followed soon after, and Allen found himself placed down, and his knees swiftly failed him.

"Oi, you bastard! What the fuck do you think you are doing, Allen, you alright?"

"Now, Edward Elric, that is no way to show respect to your elders, let my body show you the truth!"

"I DON'T NEED - WHAT ARE YOU DOING? PUT YOUR FUCKING SHIRT BACK ON!"

"...are you ok, Allen?" Al had kneeled down next to him, as well as the girl with brown hair from the day before.

Allen gulped and nodded his head, "was not expecting that…"

Al smiled and levered him up, with a laugh; he then turned to the girl next to him, "Oh yeah, Allen, Sheska, Sheska, Allen. Sheska is a researcher in the investigations department."

The girl flushed, "I-it's not really a big deal, and it is thanks to you that I even got the job-"

Al just smiled, "She is brilliant, she has photographic memory!"

The girl flushed again and waved her hands around widely.

"It's nice to meet you Sheska," Allen smiled at her, and his head tilted to the side, and suddenly Sheska blushed even further.

"N-n-nicetomeetyoutoo," She stuttered out, and fled, her hands raised to her cheeks.

"What?" Allen looked in shock over to Al, who seemed to be giggling into his hand.

He was interrupted by a large presence standing in front of him.

"Fuck kid! How the hell did you do that?" The man who had taken Ed and Al earlier walked over to him.

"Huh?"

"You are a lady killer aren't you, another one!"

"I'm sorry?" Allen was getting even more confused, and Al seemed to be holding his side trying to stop his laughter.

The man stared, "...and you don't even know it, damn it kid, names Jean Havoc, just call me Havoc."

The man was suddenly elbowed out of the way as one of the other women he had seen from the night before walked in front of him "Hello, Allen yes?" He nodded, and she smiled, "Captain Maria Ross, I helped out the brothers before, it is a pleasure to meet you. I don't think you got proper introductions before so here, the officer to the side, that's Fuery, Sergeant first class, specializes in communications, next to him is First Lieutenant Falman, he is a walking encyclopedia, over there on the other table is First Lieutenant Breda, he is a tactical expert," She gave him a small smile, " I believe a few others will be coming as well."

"Allen!" Ed had apparently broken away from Armstrong, who was now showing his muscles to an unamused Havoc, "Do you have Timcanpy with you?"

"Yes," Allen nodded, and the golem sprung out from his sleeves, startling the Captain.

"Sweet! Fuery is here and he is a communications expert, so he might be able to see what Tim actually is!"

"Ah, okay..."

The next hour was spent learning about the people from Ed and Al's life, people trying to get Armstrong to keep his shirt on, Al stopping Ed from drinking anything alcoholic (which ended very quickly with a stern glare "You will stay short if you drink that stuff nii-san! You are underage! Behave!") Breda and Falman got into some kind of trivia contest, and Fuery crying tears of astonishment over the wonder that was Timcanpy (who would fly off every once in a while to attack Ed's ponytail, Allen and Al found it hysterical, Ed claimed he was as bad as a cat.)

"I am not paying overtime for any of you for this," an annoyed voice broke out, and Mustang and Hawkeye entered the room as well.

Hawkeye's eyes did a quick glance over the chaos, and he lips turned up a little as she moved forward to talk to Captain Ross.

"You are not paying me anything, Lazy bastard," Ed's voice rang out from the corner from where he was perched on the edge of the couch, watching Tim with a fury in his eyes, holding his ponytail with one hand.

Mustang smirked, and walked over to the golem, catching it with a quick movement, "And this is?"

"Timcanpy, Allen's fucking demon pet-thing, won't leave me the fuck alone!" Ed hissed, causing Mustang's smirk to widen.

In an instant, though, the creature was taken from his hands, and cuddled into Alphonse's chest, it seemed to make a contented sound, "Now, nii-san, don't be mean, he just wants to play," Al them walked off with the demon curled up quietly in his hands.

"...full disclosure, Fullmetal, sometimes your brother worries me more than you do."

"The fuck, Bastard! Al is the best person ever! Look at him, he is so adorable he tamed that thing!"

The watched as Al started petting the creature, making it flutter its wings up and down, and a rumbling purr filled the room.

"I stand by what I said," Mustang deadpanned, and Ed didn't say a word.

~~.~~

"Oi, boss," Breda called out, something in his hands, "You want in?"

"What?" Ed called over, moving forward to see what he was holding. Then he had to hold perfectly still as he saw what was in the man's hands.

A pack of cards.

"Fuck yeah I'm in! Allen, Al, wanna play poker?" He smirked as Allen quickly looked over, his grin almost covering his face before it quickly disappeared.

"I'm in" "I will" both responded, with innocent looks on their faces, and suddenly Ed knew that everyone was so fucked.

Mustang sighed, "If anyone asked, this never happened, understood?"

As everyone (except Hawkeye, who was looking at their game with an amused glint in her eyes) gathered around the table, Allen shot a look at Ed, and nodded to Al, Ed grinned and leaned over to his brother.

"Whatever you do, don't bet against Allen."

Al raised a solitary eyebrow, and a smirk quickly crossed his face.

Hawkeye was the only one to see this exchange, and if anyone had been looking at her, and not fervently at the cards in their hands, they would be shocked to see a large smile form on her face.

The first couple rounds were basic enough, no crazy hands, or underhanded tricks, but Ed watched in complete amusement as both Allen, and Al (who had one of the best poker faces) were slowly playing their games with the others. Small things occurred, cards being played, the pot being increased, and the confused smile on Allen's face, and the genial one on Al's hid the fact that they were slowly gaining control of the whole table. Even with all the tricks Allen had shown him, Ed decided to draw back, as many others had had to before, and that left only Havoc, Mustang, Allen, and Al.

They began the last game of the evening, the cards were shuffled and the hand started. Bets were raised, and suddenly Ed knew the entire game had changed. Al gave a small sigh, and backed down, folding his hand. Mustang gave him a smirk, Havoc grinned, but Allen's face stayed neutral.

"All in," Havoc moved with a smirk, and pushed all his winnings towards the center.

Mustang seemed to think for a time, before a large smirk adorned his face, "Irresponsible of you, Colonel," and he too put his winnings in as well.

Allen fiddled with his cards for a bit, then gave a small sigh, "I guess I will too."

"Well, then show your cards," Mustang's smirk widened, and Havoc laid out his hand.

Havoc laid out his cards, one at a time, " Full house, eights high," He grinned and leaned back in his chair.

Mustang's face remained the same, but as he laid down his cards, his face broke out in a large smirk, "Four of a kind, sevens."

Havoc swore, and pounded his fist into the table.

All eyes turned to Allen, who was still looking at his cards with interest.

"Too scared to show your hand, Midget number two?" Mustang grinned.

Allen didn't even respond, and started to lay his cards on the table: a ten, a jack, a queen, a king, and finally an ace.

"Royal Straight flush," Allen's face had broken from the picture of innocence, to one that bordered on pure evil, "I believe I win."

Ed couldn't contain himself anymore, and started laughing hysterically. Al looked shocked, and gave out a small laugh as well. The rest of the table was sat in complete silence, which was finally broken by Havoc.

"How?!"

"Now, now," Allen grinned, "Don't be ashamed, you were decent," the smile widened, "Unfortunately, you are nowhere near good enough."

Mustang sighed, and rubbed his forehead with his hand, and the rest of the table broke down into laughter.

Ed finally caught his breath, "That was amazing! You need to teach me more!"

Allen responded with a smile, and a final quick shuffle of the deck, "A magician never reveals his secrets."


	10. Chapter 10

"Come on, come on, come on!" Ed was bouncing where he stood, anxious and excited, "We've been in Central for two months and you still haven't opened one of the doors! I need to see how it works!"

Allen gave a small laugh, but continued to concentrate on his task. He closed his eyes, and felt for the tug in his gut that signified his connection with the Ark. It slowly solidified, and he breathed out slowly, allowing the thought of a door to fill his mind. Then it clicked, and he knew it was in place.

He opened his eyes to see Ed, and Al were looking at the door with awe. He smiled, and then opened the door and bowed, "After you."

Al let out a laugh, and then had to scramble to catch up to his brother, who had already bolted inside.

"Is it still connected to your other world, Allen?" Ed called, already trying to explore the depths, wandering around and trying doors at random.

Allen followed behind them sedately and closed his eyes, "...yes, it is, but only if I open the doors, I think I put it on some kind of lock down when I pulled you through. BE CAREFUL OPENING DOORS!"

Al had grabbed Ed just as he began to fall into the chasm below one of the doors. "Nii-san, please try to think before you act next time," Al said with a put upon tone.

Ed huffed and bounced off, seemingly trying to open every door he could find.

"I wonder how angry Fuhrer Mustang is going to be when he finds out we put an inter dimensional portal in his office closet?" Allen wondered aloud, and Al stifled a laugh.

"He probably won't notice it, it's Hawkeye we need to worry about!" Al smiled, not making Allen feel at all better.

"Anyway, if push comes to shove, we can say we set it up as a precautionary device in case he ever gets attacked in the office," Al gave a smile, and then ducked as Ed hurtled back towards them.

"Hey, Allen! Can we get a look at the control room? And I think we are going to need some measuring tape, this place seems to not fit into the confines that frame it. The doors don't actually seem to fit, so I need to make sure that it isn't just a trick of perception. Do you know how the plants are still alive in here? Do you water them? Do you think people once lived here? Was there a group of people who would just travel using this device? Where did they go? Is this place held in some kind of stasis? Is the outside influence on a place in stasis going to cause a corruption? Are we causing a closed system to effectively become open and does that mean we can mess with the time and space dimensions that have been kept in a controlled environment?!" Ed stopped to draw a breath and turned to Allen, whose eyes were wide with shock and amusement.

Al looked thoughtful, "From what you said, this might have been a controlled environment, but it was being used as transport, so we shouldn't worry too much about causing undue changes."

"But what about Alchemy? Is this a pseudo-dimension, or does it actually exist in more than just a pocket of space? Is it a fold between multiple dimensions, a lynchpin?"

Al grinned, "It could be like the axis to a manifold, maybe it holds more dimensions together than physical ones and that is why it can be used to travel like it does. Does it move, or do the areas around it? Are the doors stationary, or do they move in accordance to what they correspond to?"

Allen smiled, and broke through their ramblings.

"There is a myth," Allen began, and gave Ed and Al a small smile, "I know you don't like them much, but back home there is a myth about 'Noah's Ark.' Which given the actual Noah… it might have some merit. Anyway, the myth is that God asked a man to create a ship to hold two of every animal, a female and a male, because God was going to flood the world and get rid of all humans, because they were tainted. It was believed that only Noah and his family deserved to survive, and so Noah built the Ark. After the floods finished, all the animals and the family left the ark, and repopulated the world" Allen shrugged, "So maybe this ark was actually used as a storage area? A place for in between?"

Ed scoffed at the myth, but his brow did furrow with thought, "you said, all humans? Does that mean the ones from just one world? Or was it used to get across a combination of worlds?"

Al perked up with wide eyes, "If you can find a calamity that hit both our world and Allen's at the same time, we may have some data to work off of!"

Allen quirked his head to the side, "But would the time remain the same?"

Ed's face was quickly covered by a smile, and he clapped his hands together and touched them to the ground. There was a large flash, and he yelped, causing both Al and Allen to leap towards him.

When the flash dissipated, Ed was sitting on the ground, his hands holding up the rest of his body.

"Ed!" "Nii-san!"

Ed continued to blink, and his face soon break into a manic grin.

"This...this entire place is made of energy!" Ed catapulted to his feet and stared at his hands, "Just a small alchemical charge, and this entire place would become so full of energy, even someone who could barely use alchemy would be able to route it to do a massive work!"

"You mean you can mold the energy? But if you use it, would it recharge?" Al asked.

Ed hummed, and grabbed the notebook he had brought with him, "You wouldn't think so, as this is an enclosed space, but if it isn't an closed system, that means it can draw energy from the places it is connected to…" His eyes widened.

"If you have a door open on this end, and a door open on the other, it may be possible to use the talents of one world in the other!" He whirled around to face Allen, "That is probably why you could still use your innocence! FUCK this is amazing! But is there a spatial limit? Maybe not for you, as you count as a...source? door? manipulator?" Ed tilted his head and looked at Allen.

"I'm the musician," Allen spoke without a thought, and small flinch shook his body.

He had nearly forgotten, honestly, with all the changes that were surrounding him, about the Fourteenth. He breathed in and out slowly, making sure that he didn't attract its attention, but gave Ed a small smile. Ed's eyes hardened, but he just gave him a small nod in return.

"You did say it was controlled by a piano, may we see it?" Al broke through the silence that had filled the area.

Allen smiled, and let out another breath, and went to the control room of the Ark.

He sat at the piano, and opened up the views that showed the entire area with a small touch on b sharp.

"Does what you play have to match with the intensity of the changes to the Ark?"

Allen frowned, "I think it is more like an opening phrase, at least, the song is, if I play that, it gives me the ability to adjust the changes to the ark itself...but I think certain keys are mapped to certain things. I'm sorry, I don't actually know what they are, they just sort of pop up in my head when I need them…" Allen shrugged, but Al just gave him a smile, and continued to search the room and stare at the monitors.

A half hour had passed, and Ed decided he had to go get a measuring tape, a thermometer, a barometer, and a list of other machines, and Al followed him to help.

"Be right back! Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Ed called, and Allen laughed as he hear Al respond, "He means don't do anything he would do!"

Allen smiled and lounged on the piano bench, his fingers resting on the keys. He played around for a little while, playing random tunes he had heard through his travels. He closed his eyes, and allowed his fingers to travel over the keys. The melancholy music filled the air, and he relaxed and allowed it to sweep over him. In what seemed to be no time whatsoever, his fingers stopped and he stared at the keyboard with a small smile.

He stretched and stood up, but froze as he saw that something had changed in the room. Where once a plain and bare wall stood, a small, innocuous door took it's place. It wasn't white, like the rest of the doors, and seemed to almost stand out of the wall. It was made of heavy stone, with no handle to open it with. It didn't have hinges or seem to have edges of any kind either, it just sunk into the pristine wall that surrounded it.

Allen swallowed, and felt himself walking towards it. He stopped a foot away, and felt a chill go down his spine.

He shouldn't touch it. He had already gotten in enough trouble doing things he never understood, he knew better.

He began to back away from the door, the arm that he had unknowingly outstretched became clenched at his side.

But it didn't matter, because the instant he took a step back, the door exploded open, and thousands of black twisted limbs grabbed him and pulled him through.

~~.~~

He gasped as he hit some kind of floor, and he quickly pushed himself upwards to prepare for an attack.

None came.

He breathed out and looked around the area he had been taken to, and the chill of fear that he had felt earlier took over full force.

He was stood in the middle of an empty space, with two doors in front of him, one to his left, one to his right. The one on the right looked almost like one of the phylum trees that some scientists had been working on, something that would show how all species and being interconnected. The strange tree was carved into the foreboding stone doors, with even stranger words carved into it. Allen tried to move away, but found his feet were stuck where he stood. He slowly glanced over at the other door, the door he had tried to ignore.

The door with the small white figure picked out in black from the background, seemed to stare at him, even though he had no face.

"I've been waiting for you"

The faceless being tilted his head, and Allen could not even move.

"What are you?" Allen spoke, his fear not affecting his tone, he had faced down the Millenium Earl before, whatever this thing was, he could face it as well.

The thing slowly stood up, but remained where it was. It spoke in tones that seemed to carry the weight of thousands, and every word it spoke echoed around the empty silence that pervaded the space.

"Who am I? One name you might have for me is the world, or you might call me the universe, or perhaps God, or perhaps the Truth. I am All, and I am One. So, of course, this also means that I am you. "

Allen forced himself to step back, and he gasped, 'No, no, no, this is the gate. This shouldn't be possible I'm not an alchemist!'

The being let out a laugh, and Allen's eyes grew wide as its left arm slowly began to change, the pattern appearing on it mirroring Allen's own. The face also suddenly had chords of vines structure themselves out of where the eye socket would be, forming a mirror image of his own curse.

"Have you had no part in the desire to gain knowledge, the desire to take what was not yours to receive? To take something back from a place you should never reach?"

Allen let out a sharp breath, and his hands clenched into fists, "I-yes-I did, but that is in the past, I've been fixing things as much as a I can because of that! I have kept moving forward to try to make sure no one else will fall for what I did! So that no one else has to face that pain!"

At this the being smiled, a large grin that took up too much of it's face, making it seem almost grotesque.

"I know. Isn't is perfect? Here you are, and now we can easily get to the heart of the matter."

Allen couldn't move at all, it felt like no air was coming into his body, and his heart was straining to pump.

"I want to make an exchange."

"N-no" Allen immediately responded, forcing the words out past trembling lips.

"I haven't even said what it was yet." The beings smile grew even wider, and it placed the hand that was so similar to Allen's on his cheek.

"I-I know better now."

Truth then broke out with a loud laugh, that echoed over the area and back and forth across the space.

"You are acting like you have a have been using the gate to travel, to fill your desires, you have been using powers that you do not understand to fight back against creatures you will never understand." In that instant everything changed, Truth suddenly became all encompassing.

"You will do this exchange, whether you have ever wanted to or not. You would have anyway, but I thought you would enjoy being rewarded in turn. Equivalence. Things have gone missing from here, things that should not. Return them to me by any means necessary. I want the homunculi, the Noah, bring them to me…" the being paused and drew back from Allen, who was able to finally draw a breath. The quick breaths stuttered past his lips, and he could feel darkness encompassing him from the corners of his mind.

"Wrath is free, do with him as you will. Now leave, Allen Walker, and finish our exchange."

Allen felt the entire world jerk once again, the white faded as the blackness crowded around pulling him in all directions, tearing him apart and rebuilding him.

He felt himself collapse onto solid ground, and swore he could hear panicked shouts as everything faded from his consciousness.

~~.~~

Ed and Al had come back after ten minutes and had been shocked to see the room empty. That shock quickly turned to horror at the sight of the door that had merged itself into the wall.

There could be no mistaking it's architecture.

Ed had felt himself freeze completely, unable to move, the only thing that was running through his mind was , "Not Allen. Not him. It didn't take Allen. It couldn't."

Al had been the one who moved, the one who rushed forward and slammed into the door, trying to find anyway to open it, anyway to get inside.

Edward shook his head and began banging on the door as well. He clapped his hands together and tried to force the energy to allow an opening, but nothing prevailed.

"What, Why? How is it here? Allen isn't even an Alchemist!" Al cried and banged his hands against the door again, before pulling back, his whole body trembling.

"I-I don't…" Ed rested his hands on the cold stone door, and then warmth of rage slowly filled his body. He drew back and kicked the door.

"LET HIM GO YOU FUCKER! HE HASN'T DONE ANYTHING! LET HIM GO, LET HIM THE FUCK GO!" This last statement rang out around the room, and in the eerie silence that followed a small chime came from the piano.

The door suddenly surged open, and Ed growled as the familiar mass of limbs burst through into the room. He ignored them and pushed forward, Al squeezing in close behind him.

"There!" Al gasped, and he shoved his hand forward, Ed's eyes also caught the glimpse of long white hair, and they both grabbed Allen and pulled him back through.

The instant the three had moved away from the door, it closed with a loud slam. Ed saw Allen's eyes quickly close, and he collapsed towards the floor.

"Allen!" Ed cried, and he and Al quickly levered him down onto the ground.

"A-Allen?" Al called, and shook his shoulder. There was not even a twitch.

Ed grabbed one of Allen's arms, and motioned to Al, "We need to get him out of here, maybe to a doctor, we don't know if," a strangled gulp broke his sentence, "if the gate took anything."

Al nodded, his face blanched, and together the two of them dragged Allen out of the Ark.

Ed wasn't quite sure what happened next, only that Mustang was speaking furiously, and that despite his tone, Ed could swear he was scared. He saw flashes of the others, hands, and voices, trying to tell him something, but he couldn't hear, the only thing he could do was stare at Allen slumped against him. Hands grabbed Allen and took him away, and it was only because some of the voices wrung out in familiar comforting tones that Ed did not fight back. He was ushered forward with Al, and they both got into the same car that Allen had been carefully placed into.

Ed jumped out of the car as soon as it stopped, and he and Al followed Allen until they were blocked by medical staff. Ed would have shouted himself hoarse, but Al had laid a hand on his shoulder, and dragged him over to the seats against the wall.

They remained there in silence, waiting to hear any news, brisk footsteps came down the hall, and Ed could see polished shoes stop in front of him.

A hand grabbed his chin and forced him to look up into Mustang's face.

"He'll be alright, Fullmetal."

Ed dropped his face out of Mustang's grasp, and continued to stare at the floor. He hear Mustang move next to Al, and heard the quiet murmur of words echo around the empty hall.

"He better," Ed growled out, and then they began the wait.


	11. Chapter 11

Allen felt himself falling gently, and slowly landing onto firm ground. He opened his eyes, and blinked a few times to allow himself to see his surroundings. Even after a few moments, everything was covered in a haze, and he could barely pick up any details on where he was. He shifted, and flinched as his hand plunged into cold water. He pulled himself up and found that he was once again sat on the edge of a lake, the moon bright above his head, and the reflection almost a perfect opposite of what he was surrounded by. Allen grimaced as he saw himself as, skin black, and the stigmata branded across his forehead. He stared at the reflection for some time, and then splashed his hand down into the water, destroying the reflection. He slowly pulled back from the lake, and resolutely turned around to face the mist.

Then he began to walk.

He drifted through the haze, not really sure where he was going, but knowing that walking was always the answer. Soon the haze became too thick for him to see, and he found himself stumbling in the dark. His foot got stuck on something and he crumpled to the ground, everything went black before he could even hit the floor.

This time when Allen awoke, the first thing he felt was an insatiable hunger.

"I can't believe this, seriously, how can your stomach be so loud? At least we know that there is nothing wrong with it," and Allen felt himself relax back into the bed, falling into a true sleep, and no dreams bothered him.

~~.~~

Ed was sitting next to the bedside (hospital, great) and was curled up in a chair, hands clasped around his knees which were pulled up to his chest. He allowed his eyes to close as he took in a deep breath. He could hear Al's slow and even breathing from the other side of the room, where a small couch was pushed against the wall. He turned and looked at his brother, curled up in his sleep, and the hint of a smile pushed past his lips. He then curled his arms up tighter around himself.

The doctors had done scans after scans and other tests, and from what they could tell, nothing seemed to be missing at all from Allen's body. They did seem interested in the strange bone structure in his arm, but Mustang was able to tell them in his 'don't mess with this' voice that they shouldn't focus on the fact that the bones in Allen's arm were impossibly dense. Ed wasn't sure if these results were reassuring or not, because if Allen wasn't missing anything obvious, then what was he actually missing?

Ed was brought out of his thoughts abruptly by the sound of rustling fabric. He jolted his eyes from Al's relaxed form and froze as he saw clear gray eyes staring back.

Ed nearly fell forward, but managed to grab Allen's hand.

"Allen, Allen! Are you ok? Fuck, I should get a nurse-" Ed made an abortive motion to the door, but was stopped when Allen's hand curled around his own.

" 'm fine," Allen whispered, his voice was hoarse and scratchy. Ed sprawled his left arm over the one that was still holding Allen's hand and managed to snag the glass of water that had been placed by the bed. He helped Allen take a few sips, and then wiggled again so he could place the glass back down.

"I'm fine, are you and Al?" Allen whispered and tried to move up against the pillows, but Ed pushed him down with his patented big brother glare.

"We are good, nothing has happened, Mustang roped off his closet so no one has been in the Ark either. Al is here as well, he is just sleeping on the couch," at these words Allen propped his head up and managed a small smile at the sight of Al spread over the couch, snoring away.

"And he always makes fun of the way you sleep," Allen sighed and laid back down.

Ed gave a small laugh, and then he grabbed one of the pencils that had been placed near Allen's bed. He chucked it with precision and hit Al right on the forehead.

Al gave a small yelp, and rolled out of the bed onto the floor.

"Oww, what was that- Allen!" Al was by the bed in an instant, sitting on the opposite side of Ed. He leaned down and gave Allen a quick hug.

"How are you? Was it the gate? Did it ...did it take anything?" Al settled next to Allen's side.

Allen gave him a small half smile, and nodded at Edward, " You were right by the way, the Truth was terrifying."

Ed grimaced, and tightened his hold on Allen's hand, but before he could speak Allen continued on.

"It didn't... take anything it hasn't already taken? It just," Allen stopped and bit his lip then sighed, " it wanted to ask a ...favour? No I guess, demand a result? I don't know. I wants me to do something."

"What?" Al spoke calmly into the echoing quiet.

Allen shifted a bit in the bed, "It wanted me to 'return what it lost' it said that the Noah and the Homunculi were part of it and that they had to be returned...but it said I was already going to do that, and it was just letting me know?" Allen looked at them with confusion blatant in his expression.

"That... is weird," Ed's eyes shifted as he thought over the situation, "That doesn't sound like that fucker at all."

Al nodded, "I mean...Truth does things that will benefit itself, so maybe in the long run it needs those parts back?"

"Maybe it's uneven now, it has some of the homunculi back, but none of the Noah, and we did talk about them being the same kind of thing right? Lust, pride, envy..." Allen trailed off and silence filled the room again.

Ed then grabbed another pencil from the bedside, and a stack of papers as well.

"So what, we've got Gluttony and Wrath here, right? And there are 14 noah?" Ed started to write on the paper.

"I think it said something about Wrath not mattering?" Allen frowned, "I think...we killed a Noah, and he might have been wrath...does it not matter if it is with the other crowd since he is now a child?"

Al interjected as well, "Wrath here is just a kid too." Ed grumbled a little, but crossed of Wrath on both sheets.

"But Road is a kid too..well she is one of the older ones but she has the body of a kid...I don't know" Allen grumbled, and pushed his head back into the pillows.

"So in this world we have Gluttony, and the other there are twelve Noah still hanging around..." Ed growled and glanced up at Allen, "But what about the Fourteenth?"

Allen shrugged, "It didn't bring that up...I don't know..." Allen clenched his fists, " and it kept talking about the Ark, and it was connected to him? I don't..."

Ed grimaced, and Al got a flinty look in his eyes. They both looked at each other, and then a slow smile spread across Ed's face.

"Well, honestly, these aren't the worst odds we have come across, and we beat Truth's game before, how hard can it be to do it again," Ed smiled, and startled a small laugh out of Allen.

"And this time we aren't even fighting Truth..we are fighting for Truth?" Al giggled, "That sounds very dramatic."

Allen smiled as well, and slowly felt the terror creep back.

And then his stomach growled.

Allen flushed.

Al gave a small smile, "How about food first, battle plans after?"

"No milk!" Ed yelled out, and Allen just laughed.

~~.~~

Mustang grimaced and leaned back in his chair, "Why is it always you, Fullmetal? How do you always end up in the middle of every possible mess?"

Ed just gave him a shit eating grin, "Come on Fuhrer, I know you have to have been keeping an eye out for Gluttony, just tell me where he is and we can forget this ever happened."

Mustang stared at him, "you think you are just going to be able to take him all by yourself?"

"I have Al and Allen too! You know that this will be a piece of cake! Three on one, three of the best against one homunculi. And if Gluttony pulls that gate thing, Allen can just get everybody out again," Ed's grin widened at the blatant dismay that was one Mustang's face.

"You are leading up to something, what do you want?" Mustang replied, and Ed's grin faded a little.

"I'm just thinking, you have two of your best alchemist/researchers cleaning up a little governmental mess that was left behind, and helping out as well with cleaning up and-"

"Get to the point, Fullmetal."

"I'm getting there bastard! Look, one homunculi, easy, thirteen Noah, probably at the same time, with some of the people who are supposed to fight them trying to bag Allen? Not so much."

Mustangs face shifted from annoyed to intrigued, "You are saying you want me to allow some...backup for when your brother has to fight the Noah."

"Yes, and it isn't like you're getting nothing out of this either, bastard, I know you are interested in that world and how it works and the kind of powers they have over there. So what do you say, we take care of Gluttony and go about spouting your good name like loyal dogs, and you lend a few people who can help take care of the mess on Allen's side of things," Ed grimaced, but didn't budge.

Mustang crossed his hands, and then spoke, "And you say you figured out how to use alchemy on the other side?"

"We have a plausible theory, yeah."

"I will choose who goes with you, " Mustang leaned back in his chair, "and I do expect some kind of report on what that world is capable of."

Ed nodded with a roll of his eyes, "Fine, I will write up a lovely report on how many different rail cars there are, or how the gun powder differs or whatever else."

Mustang smiled, but then gave Ed a pointed look, "Does Allen know what he is going to do after?"

"Like hell he is going back to them, I'm dragging him back home if it is the last thing I do!"

Mustang gave him a look, and then sighed and returned to the piles of paperwork covering his desk. He then takes out a large folder and slides it over the desk.

"Here is all we have on the remaining homunculi, look through it, see what you can find, but I want you to take at least one other officer with you, it doesn't even have to be an alchemist. I want someone who will actually report back to me when you manage to blow up another city and not just fill in their reports with crayon," Mustang peered at him, but Ed just shrugged.

"Fine, fine, thanks for the information, Fuhrer Bastard."

Ed smiled as Mustang called out as he left, "Black Hayate does not count!"


	12. Chapter 12

Ed glared around the bustling West City, and continued up the steps to the hotel where he and his brothers were staying. He got up to their room and let out a large groan as he flopped to the floor.

"Still can't find him?" Al looked down at his brother who was rolling across the ground.

"No! None of the alchemist around here have seen him at all! How is that even possible!" Ed yelled, flailing his limbs in the air.

"Come on boss, it isn't that bad, it's like paid vacation!" Havoc spoke from where he was lounged nearby on the couch.

Ed responded with a rude hand gesture, making Al groan and Allen, who had been sitting at the table watching the display, laugh.

"This was just the last place he was seen, nii-san, he might have moved on...he never really made sense," Al trailed off and shrugged, moving back to the table where he and Allen had been trying to map Gluttony's movements.

Ed groaned and slumped over to the table as well resting his head in his hands, "Maybe I should do the Scar route, you know, just go make a spectacle of myself, he might show up then."

Al glared, "Yeah, because that ended so well last time."

Ed grimaced.

Allen got to his feet, "Alright, lets go get some food and then work on where he might have moved next."

~~.~~

They left the hotel and began walking down the main street, Ed smiled as they followed Havoc to what was apparently "the best damn food in the West!"

"As long as we don't end up in another bar, I don't care," Allen spoke from Ed's right, and Ed grinned.

Al popped up from his left as well, "I think he learned his lessons when the people at the last place saw how much you two eat!"

Allen just shrugged, and smirked.

His face then blanched, and a strange whirring noise started.

"Wha-" Allen spoke but then grimaced and fell to his knees.

Ed moved over to help him, and Al called out for Havoc, but Ed froze.

A gear had appeared over Allen's cursed eye, it was floating in front of it and seemed to be tracking something's movement. Allen's face blanched even further, and then he burst forward and knocked Edward and Alphonse over.

Just in time for a huge explosion to rock from where they previously stood.

Gluttony stood in the massive hole, beady eyes staring at the three of them without any recognition.

Allen then heaved to the side, and Ed grabbed his arm, and pulled him up.

"Allen?" Ed whispered as he and Al slowly moved back from the creature, who was himself slowly shuffling out of the hole.

"Oh,oh no, what is that," Allen swallowed convulsively, and he tried to cover his eye, "there are so many souls, tortured forever and ever, just stuck and unable to leave."

He swallowed again and took in a great heaving breath, "I'm ok, just wasn't expecting that."

Ed nodded and slowly let go, giving his full attention the beast that had finally toddled up to flat ground.

"I missed, " Gluttony spoke, and then looked up.

It sprang forward with a velocity that did not work with the mass it had. Allen activated his innocence and moved Ed and Al away from the next blast zone, placing them down on opposite sides of the homunculi. Allen then used his cloak to begin a game of cat and mouse.

Ed clapped and placed his hands on the ground, calling up hundred of sharp rods to impale Gluttony, but the creature was moving faster than he could keep up. Al clapped his hands together as well and froze in statues along the pathway came to life, and he quickly motioned for them to move the passersby out of the way and then focused on the assault against the homunculus.

Ed ran forward, his automail forming into his standard weapon. He began using the threads of Allen's cloak to propel himself forward, and leapt at Gluttony, plunging his arm into the homunculus' side and springing away up the white spider's web when Havoc distracted the monster with shots to the joints.

Gluttony let out a roar of pain, but the bullet holes healed almost instantly.

While Ed, Allen, and Havoc distracted Gluttony, Al finished out the large design of the Flamel transmutation.

"It's ready!" he called out, and then moved back in preparation to bait the trap.

Ed grinned and kicked Gluttony in the back, using the force to propel himself backwards towards where Al was standing.

Gluttony charged after him, and didn't notice the circle placed on the ground.

Ed clapped and a wall was transmuted right in front of Gluttony, causing him to fall back right into the circle. Ed fell back and shouted, "Go Al, go!"

Al clapped and started the transmutation, but grimaced as he saw Gluttony standing up far too quickly.

"Shit!" Ed breathed out, but the circle worked in time, causing Gluttony to shriek in pain. A blast of pure power pushed Ed and Al back, but both stood up to try to see through the dust.

A roar followed by a large boom burst through the dust, and Al was pushed off his feet as Gluttony ran straight into him.

"Al!" Ed turned to him, but a shriek filled the air, and Gluttony was pinned through his chest with a large sword.

Gluttony's hands scrabbled at the sword, but then the movements slowed, and the beast fell to the ground.

A wind seemed to pick up out of nowhere, and Ed moved closer and grabbed Al as they watched the remains of the homunculi turn to dust in the wind.

Allen landed nearby and grabbed his sword. He deactivated his innocence, and his arm returned to its original shape.

Havoc walked up behind them as well, holstering his weapon, "Good job Fullmetal, Steel Soul, yet unnamed with a cool code name Allen." Allen gave him a quirked grin.

"This seems to be the least amount of property damage that has ever happened when Fullmetal is around, I'm so proud!" Havoc had fake tears streaming down his face, but keeled over when Ed jump-kicked him.

"Shut up! It's not like I try to destroy property!" Ed yelled, and then he huffed and clapped his hands to get rid of the huge indentation on the ground, and some of the marks in the surrounding area.

Allen grinned, and watched as Al moved the statues back to where he had originally got them, but was having trouble trying to get them back into their positions.

~~.~~

Al sat down with a sigh, "Well, at least we didn't have to pay for dinner ourselves, the Western alchemists were really happy with finally getting rid of Gluttony."

Havoc snored from the couch, having enjoyed the celebrations with his normal amount of zeal.

Al looked up at Allen, "I'm surprised your innocence reacted to Gluttony."

Allen frowned, "I am too, but I guess..." he trailed off and placed his hand over his eye, "there were so many souls, so much was just wrong with what Gluttony was. He held souls inside of him and used their power to do what he did. So I guess he was similar enough to the akuma that it reacted."

Ed spoke next, a frown marring his face as well, "So that is the last of the homunculi here, all we have left is the Noah...and Envy."

Al blanched, "I forgot! I forgot all about Envy and Father!"

Ed nodded, "Bastard was never around anyway, but I survived in Allen's world, so he and Envy are probably still around as well."

Allen leaned back, "and from what you told me, Envy is more interested in getting at you then any of the others."

Al bit his lip, "in fact...he might want to go after Allen the most after all of this." At the raised eyebrows of his brothers he spoke, "You know the whole, father, brother thing he has..."

Ed groaned and threw his head back, "But I guess our plan for Gluttony would still work on Envy, so that shouldn't be too bad, I'm still not sure how to face the Noah."

Al piped up, "I have an idea for that, actually," he continued quickly, "from what Allen said, all of the Noah used to be normal people, but then they 'woke up' so if we can find some way to separate the Noah soul from the person soul, we should be able to send the Noah straight to the Gate."

Al then pulled out a piece of paper he had been playing with and laid it out on the table, "I have been practicing moving souls for a while, and so I sketched this out."

Edward immediately leaned over the table, his eyes pouring over the transmutation circle, "This...this might work, maybe change the layering here to an inverse triangle?"

Al leaned forward as well, " I was thinking of that, but then I thought of the stability between the split. It would have to have the two interconnected circles, and then I want to send one of the souls to the Gate, so I needed to be careful of how they were combined."

Ed nodded, and continued to look over the work, "This, this will probably work... Al you are a genius!" Ed blasted from the table and got Al in a headlock.

Allen had been looking over the paper as well, and was delighted to see that he could actually understand what the circle was supposed to do. Studying with Ed and Al was really paying off.

"We should try it," Allen spoke, and then he looked up at his brothers, "We need to try it."

"Allen," Al spoke, and then looked over at Edward.

Ed glared, "No."

Allen rubbed a hand through his long hair, "We need to test it before we try it on the ones in my world. I'm the only one who you can actually test it on," he fidgeted, "I have doors that open to both worlds already, so even if I lose the power of the Ark we can still go through, and Truth wants me to finish things, so I doubt it would keep me there."

Ed worried his lip, but in the end it was Al who spoke up, "Nii-san...I think we should try it, I know you are worried, but it should work, and Allen is right, even if he does end up in the Gate, Truth would just send him back."

Allen sat down next to Ed, "If...if there is a possibility to get rid of this thing inside of my head, I need to take it."

Ed's shoulders fell, "Fine! Fine...but don't you dare leave understand!" He pointed a finger at Allen who gave him a small smile.

"Really not planning on it."

~~.~~

Allen stood in the middle of the array that they had drawn in their room, he relaxed his shoulders and gave Al a smile.

Al and Ed stood on opposite sides of the array.

"Alright, here we go, 3-2-1"

They clapped, and everything around Allen went black.

"Well...this is not what I expected."

Allen whirled around, and the monochrome area around him seemed to lighten. In front of him stood a man, taller than Allen. He had shorter hair and stood straighter, his suit seemingly freshly pressed. His skin was a light gray, and the stigmata stood out starkly against the background.

Then he switched, his skin gaining the pink tinge of humanity, and his hair turning a deep red.

Nea looked around the empty space that surrounded them, "Though I guess this works better than what I had planned."

He then turned to Allen.

And smiled.

"I can honestly say that you continue to surprise me every day, from the day you were born," the smile turned wistful, "Who knew that my own son would be born with innocence." The man shook his head ruefully.

Allen was completely frozen, "Wha..."

Nea's smile faded, "I...couldn't let the Earl know, he would have killed you, and your mother died in childbirth," his face turned grim, "I left you in an orphanage, you know, I thought it would be safer than having you with me, but we can see what happened there."

Allen stared and slowly felt his knees collapsing under him, "What, what do you mean?I-"

Nea sat down in front of him, and gently pulled him into his arms, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry that we don't have enough time for me to truly explain. I'm sorry I had to leave you, I'm sorry you were born into a war you shouldn't have even been aware of. I'm sorry that you have held all of these burdens to yourself. I'm sorry I never had the time to help you."

Allen began to tremble in the man's hold.

"I'm sorry that Mana was an idiot, you can't believe how terrified I was when I woke up, and I realized I was here, out of all the places I could have been. I didn't know what to do, the souls of the Noah just take over, and I tried to hold it back, and only come out when I thought I could help, but it seems you handled it better than most."

Allen felt a hand move through his hair, and another clench in the jacket on his back. A soft sob escaped his lips.

"I'm sorry. I tried to kill the Earl, I thought if I could defeat him, if I became the new Earl, I could find you again, and you would be safe." The hug tightened, and Nea breathed deeply.

Allen was shaking in his hold, unable to even think about what was going on. A tear rolled down his cheek, and then another. Soon he was crying, trembling in the warm hold of his father.

His father curled in tightly around him, and played with his hair, a wistful sigh escaping past his lips, "It used to be bright red, you know, like mine, before this whole fiasco started."

Allen breathed in deeply,"What...what was my mother's name?" Then he stilled completely, "What is my name?"

Allen heard Nea swallow, and the he spoke, "Her name was Kari, she worked as a nurse in one of the towns I stopped by. She had dark hair and gray eyes, and was always smiling," then Nea let out a small laugh, "and you, we named you something that was noble, that strode to prove that harmony could happen, even between Noah and people. You were always called Allen, that Mana was some how able to think of that despite his madness might be the one thing I can thank him for," Allen could hear the disgust at the thought of Mana, and the arms around him grew tighter.

"He was supposed to protect you if I couldn't...and in the end he did, but I never meant for it to happen like this. I'm sorry, Allen."

Allen then collapsed against his father, allowing gentle words to help chase away all of the fears he had felt since his first day on the streets.

~~.~~

It was some time later when Allen finally moved away, sitting back and looking up at Nea.

"This is going to make you leave, you know," Allen spoke out, his voice cracking.

Nea nodded, and placed his hand on top of Allen's, "I know, and I am glad for it, I never wanted to take over your life, and I am glad you found a way for us to speak at last."

Nea looked around, and back at him, speaking quickly "The Ark is yours, it is in your blood, so you don't need to worry about that. The sword that the Earl has is not his, it's mine. If you take it back from him, you should be able to defeat him. He isn't like the others, he is purely Noah. He can hide in his human form but it is truly him, not anything else."

Neah grabbed one of Allen's hands in his own, "Stay safe, be happy, do what you want to do with your life. Walk your own path, " he smiled at those word and continued, "and thank Alphonse and Edward for me, would you? I'm glad you have finally found a family of your own."

At these words Nea leaned forward and placed a kiss in Allen's hair, "Keep walking, son."

~~.~~

Allen woke standing up in the middle of the circle, and as he looked around, he could see that no time had passed.

Ed moved forward, "Allen?"

A sob hitched in Allen's chest, and Al walked into the center of the array as well, "Allen are you alright?"

Allen gulped down another sob, and quickly rushed a hand under his eyes to stop the tears.

"He was my dad," the words tore past his lips, and Ed swore, grabbing Allen and moving him towards the couch.

Al sat down next to him, and placed hand on his shoulder. Allen got his breath back under control, and when he looked up again, Ed had plopped down on his other side, placing a cup of something warm in front of him.

Allen grabbed the cup and took a sip, breathing out as he felt himself relax back into the sofa.

"He tried to kill the Earl to save me, because I would never have been allowed to live. He never meant to get stuck inside of me," Allen sighed out, and gently placed the cup back on the table, his fingers trembling a bit.

"Fuck," Allen and Ed turned with wide eyes at Alphonse, whose own eyes seemed to be glowing.

"Alphonse!" Ed choked out, but stopped speaking when Al glared at him, and then turned to Allen.

"No matter what happens, the Earl will be stopped, I'm sure of it."

Allen nodded and breathed out again, the warmth of his family, and sound of snoring from the main room lulling him into calmness.


	13. Chapter 13

Edward was 'relaxing' in Mustang's office, going through pile after pile of papers on the different personnel that would be able to help.

"Ughhh, this is so stupid!" He groaned, and fell face forward into the desk.

"If you are going to make a racket, do it somewhere else, Fullmetal," Mustang sighed as he too looked through a large stack of papers.

Ed fidgeted and huffed, going back to his papers, "Look, I can do Alchemy, I can set up a plan like a boss, but how the hell am I supposed to be able to find out who to bring with us? I just usually went solo, or with my brothers!"

He slumped down again, proclaiming the unfairness of the situation when another sigh broke the room, "Give me the list Allen made for you."

Ed looked up, "What?"

"He made a damn list didn't he? Of the Noah and their abilities? Hand it over?" Mustang made a 'gimme' motion with his hand.

Ed placed it on his desk with a huff, and then dragged a chair over, "All right, Fuhrer, show me how it is done then."

Mustang grinned, and grabbed a pen and a notebook, "First one down is this Millenium Earl, the one who has to face him is Allen, so that means that you and Al will be in that team as well. I also expect the three of you are going to go after Envy, so that is two down."

He then crossed out the Earl and Envy, and moved on to the rest of the Noah, "The next problem is the fact that this transmutation circle that was made can only be activated by people who have seen truth, so that means that these Noah will need to be contained and either taken care of before or after the Earl is killed, hopefully before so they can be taken care of quickly, but most likely not going to happen. This means we will need you, Al, and..."

Ed blanched, "Not...not her..not sensei..."

Mustang grinned, and wrote Izumi's name down on the list, "and if she comes, her husband will too."

"So we have you, her, and Al with the circle, which means you will all be pretty busy, so we need to make separate teams to take down the Noah, Let's start with this...Tykki Mikk, we have the most information on him."

"His problem ability is to 'choose' as Allen put it, it isn't infallible, but we need someone who moves fast, or can hold him down without getting too close. This one is definetly going to have to be an Alchemist...hmm and that vacuum ability is interesting...ah, of course, this one is obvious," Mustang made a strange mark next to Tykki's name, and moved on, with Ed glaring at him.

"Who?"

"It'll be fine, Fullmetal, next, Sheril...he has the ability to manipulate bodies...I think a human team would be good for this one, sniper probably, Hawkeye would do best, you don't want people close to him. Then when he is down a basic alchemist to keep him there."

"Isn't Hawkeye busy, doing all of your work?" Ed snarked, but Mustang looked up with a shit eating grin, "Of course! That is why she has to go! She really needs to shoot at something other than me!"

"Next is ..Wisely..."

Both alchemist looked down at his ability to read minds, Ed spoke first "Armstrong?"

"Armstrong," Mustang nodded, and moved on quickly.

"Next is Fiidora... parasites on his tongue..." Mustang grimaced, and ran a hand through his hair, "Euch, Let's go with the Wind Alchemist for this one."

"Who?" Edward looked up.

"He joined last year during the fighting, focuses on using heat and pressure to shift wind, with the right amount of force with his blade he can cut from a distance, pretty useful, but he is..." Mustang grimaced, and then waved a hand, "You'll see."

"Next is...Jasdevi...twin things... huh, there ability is almost like ours...", Mustang's eyes narrowed, "I might need to call in a favor or two, but I think I know who can handle this one..." He grimaced, but made another strange note next to that name."

"This one is similar to envy, Lulu Bell...hrm, I believe that Havoc's team would be a good match, as long as they bring Black Hayate along. After that is a bunch of people we have no knowledge of...Maltora, Fiidora, Toraido, Maashima, and Allen has no idea what has happened to Road..."

Mustang shook his head, "I'm going to call up to Fort Briggs, to get some reinforcements, you need to get in contact with your teacher, I'll have Hawkeye get some of the infantrymen who are used to fighting alongside Alchemists ready...I also need to get in contact with someone else...with just this team it might be small, but if we can get the Exorcists along with us, this wont be a problem," Mustang glanced up with a strange look in his eyes after that "...you also said that Hohenheim might be there, would he assist?"

Ed growled, but fidgeted, "Who knows, with that bastard he might just run away again, but if we see him, I'll get Al to ask."

Mustang just nodded, and then ripped the piece of paper out of the notebook.

"So Fullmetal, good enough team roster?" Mustang waved the paper in front of him.

"Chh, you just are sending all of your friends along, bastard!" Ed scowled.

"Of course, who else would I trust with a mission as important as this one then the people I know will do everything within their power to keep everyone safe?" Mustang grinned.

"Dismissed, Fullmetal," Mustang waved towards the door, and Edward responded with a one finger salute.

~~.~~

"So this is where your Sensei lives?" Allen whispered as the other two stood shaking in front of the door.

"Ah...yeah..." Ed gulped, and looked towards Al, whose face was pale as he spoke, "...we forgot to tell her you were back..."

Ed grimaced and nodded, then started to laugh fakely, "You know what! It will all be fine! AHAHAHA, we don't need her with us ri-ghghghghggWAAAAA" Ed was suddenly kicked straight across the street.

"WHAT WAS THAT, IDIOT APPRENTICE!"

Al whimpered, and even Allen shivered, "I'm getting flashbacks..."

"S-Sensei!" Ed quickly rolled out of the way of another kick, which made her turn around and charge at Al, throwing him over her shoulder.

Allen stood in awe at the carnage that surrounded him, and then saw a large shadow fall over him. He looked up to see a large man towering over him, his frame four times as large as Allen's own.

Allen grinned, "Hello, pleasure to meet you, I'm Allen Walker." He held out his hand, and the man stared at him.

Allen continued to smile.

The man grinned as well, and shook his hand, "Sig Curtis."

Allen smiled again, and made to look back at the mess that littered the street, when his eye activated.

He turned around slowly, and saw a young man standing just at the door of the house, his skin extremely pale, and black hair that went nearly all the way down his back.

"What!" the boy looked in shock at the strange device on his eye, and moved back.

Allen looked on in shock as well, but for a much different reason.

He might have been the same as Gluttony, he had the same kind of aura around him, but he didn't have the thousands of souls teaming within him, just his own, tied to the body similar to an akuma, but it wasn't screaming in pain.

It was happy.

"You must have been Wrath," Allen grinned and put his hand out, "Sorry about my eye, it activates when beings with strange souls are around."

"Strange?" Wrath moved forward, and carefully shook his hand, " and how do you know me? I mean, those two would..." he looked over at the two brothers who were now sitting in front of Izumi with their legs folded.

Allen sighed, "I was asked by Truth to do something, but it said I could leave 'Wrath' alone, so I just guessed."

Wrath flinched, "T-Truth? Then..." his eyes widened, "You killed Gluttony, didn't you?"

Allen nodded, "Yeah, that is the main reason we are here as well, I think..."

Wrath nodded, and then looked up, "I'm Brendan Curtis now."

Allen nodded, "Ah, I understand."

Brendan looked up again, and Allen smiled as he uncovered his eye, "It tracks things, you see, where I come from we have a problem with machines pretending to be people, and they are powered by souls, so with my eye I can tell what they are. I worked on Gluttony as well."

"What...what do you see," Brendan looked half curious, and half scared, and Sig was listening in as well.

Allen pondered for a moment, "Akuma, the machines from my world, have souls that are bound to a device, and they are always in pain hoping to be freed. Gluttony was...a mass of souls all bound together trying to break out and cursing everything that they could. You...you just have your soul attached, and it is happy." He nodded and Brendan grinned.

"So you are the new brat huh?" Allen jumped and whirled around, falling back into a fighting stance.

"Good reflexes, kid!" Izumi Curtis grinned and looked him over, "All right you idiots, get inside and tell me why the hell you showed up here again!"

~~.~~

Izumi looked between the three of them, and Brendan's mouth was wide open.

"So...if possible...we could use your help," Ed finished lamely, but looked resolutely into Izumi's eyes.

"You...how do these things always happen to you..." Izumi sighed out and then stood.

"The thing is, is I know your resolution, and I know you are going to through this no matter what...but I don't know yours," She pointed at Allen with the last phrase, and Allen easily stood.

"Then what can I do to prove it to you?" Allen grinned, and Brendan flinched at the dark aura that began to surround him.

Izumi grinned, and led Allen out of the house.

~~.~~

Four hours had passed, and the house had remained quiet. Ed and Brendan awkwardly tried to talk for a small time, but in the end they had all gone to do there different tasks.

A loud bang suddenly his the door, and Izumi strode in with a large smile, Allen following her with a grin as well.

"Honey, we have to pack!" She called out, and as she walked by she ruffled Brendan's hair.

Allen continued to grin, and Al approached him.

"What...what did you and Sensei do?"

Allen shrugged, "Apparently there were some bad sort in the bars around here, so I took all their money and then we scared them off, pretty simple, actually."

Ed laughed loudly, and Brendan looked at Allen in awe, "You are really weird."

Allen laughed at that, "Ah, you should have met my sensei..." his face froze in complete and utter horror, "no...never...never...that-gnjfksblsdjbv" Al leaned forward and covered his mouth before another tirade could begin.

Brendan stared at the three of them, "You are all weird. I'm coming too."

Ed looked up, "What?"

Brendan shrugged, "I can fight, and from what I heard you will need all the help you can get. They won't expect someone of my abilities. And mom and dad are going, so I will, too."

~~.~~

After they had arrived in Central, people started to gather in the main room. Ed wasn't surprised to see the old Mustang team, everyone preparing for battle, and talking with Allen and him about what they could expect to see. He was a bit surprised to see some other soldiers whom he sort of recognized, from the final battle, and a man who was a bit older than Mustang, and who had bright orange hair.

"That's the Wind Alchemist," Hawkeye pointed at him, and then they all flinched as a loud bang caused the door to open.

A group of soldiers wearing heavy coats entered the room, and Mustang walked over to them.

"Fort Briggs soldiers," Hawkeye spoke again, "They are right on the border, and so have all seen a fair share of fighting."

They soon moved to the back of the room, talking with the other soldiers and Alchemists.

Mustang waited a while longer and then the group moved to the back plaza, where Allen had set up a door.

"This is how we will be going to this 'other world' I expect all of you to be on your best behaviour, but stay safe. We are going into unknown territory with someone who was treated as a high class criminal."

Allen flushed.

"Oi, bastard, don't talk about Allen like that!" Ed yelled out, and Allen his a grin as the tension that had previously filled the air dissipated.

"We will also have one more person joining us, you will not attack him, understand?" Mustang nodded.

"Fuhrer Mustang," Al spoke up, "What do you mean...'us' ...unless..." Edward's face paled.

"Well of course I'm going!" Mustang spoke gleefully," After all, who else can face an opponent that specializes in vacuums and oxygen manipulation!"

"YOU ARE THE FUHRER!" Ed shouted out, and Mustang ignored him, moving on to talk to Armstrong.

"Ugh, that bastard, he just wants to get out of doing paperwork. Who did he leave in charge then?"

~~.~~

Far, far away, in the Fuhrer's office Sheska cried at the piles of paperwork that threatened to overwhelm her.

~~.~~

A man in a cloak walked forward from where he had been standing to the sidelines, and Mustang suddenly had a very serious look cross his face.

The man took the hood down, and Hawkeye immediately made for her guns.

"After this, I owe you nothing," Scar growled, and then moved back to the sidelines.

Ed gaped, "That's who he meant! I thought he was dead?"

Allen looked up, "Who's that?"

Al responded, "Scar."

Allen's eye's widened, having heard stories about him, "...can you trust him?"

Ed shrugged, "Meh, if the bastard thinks he can be useful, we'll see. But I'm keeping my eyes on him."

Al nodded, as well.

Allen then heard someone calling his name, and moved forward in the crowd.

Mustang spoke,"This operation is about as far from the norm as possible, so you all better have read the files I sent out. We are going into unknown territory, with only the most basic of knowledge on the members that we will be fighting against, and maybe with. This means you all need to be on your best behaviour. If all goes well, we will be in and out in less than a week, and if not, we will stop at a weeks time and regroup here to go over new plans."

Mustang walked over to the door, and patted it, "This is how we are getting to this other world, Allen here," he gestured, "can open gates between his world and ours, and so we are going to be using these doors to pass through. Apparently, alchemy doesn't usually work on the other side, but if a door is left open between the two it will."

"You have until 13 hundred hours to prepare. Dismissed." Mustang nodded, and the entire group ambled away.

Allen looked as the large group of people walked away and Mustang caught the confused look in his eye, "What is it, Walker?"

"Ah! I'm just surprised that no one asked any questions about why...I mean...they don't even know me..." Allen trailed off, and Mustang laughed.

"Yeah, but they know me, and they know the Elric's, and every single person here owes those idiots their lives, and so if they are backing this, you pretty much have the entire nation of Amestris behind you."

"Allen, come on! We are going to get lunch before we head off, and Armstrong is paying!" Ed yelled from across the lawn.

Allen nodded at the Fuhrer, and rushed off to join his family.

~~.~~

Allen grinned a little as the group entered the Ark for the first time, their eyes widening, and even Hawkeye's and Scar's faces unable to hide their disbelief.

"This is the door," Allen patted it with his hand, "That leads to the European Branch...I'm honestly not sure what kind of reaction we will get if we all go through together at once, so I think Al, Ed, and I should go through first, and try to explain a little bit..."

"Hawkeye and I will accompany you, Armstrong when I signal you, you bring the rest through, understood?" Mustang pulled at his gloves and then nodded to Allen.

Allen grabbed the handle of the door and pushed it open, glancing back once more, and then stepped through, followed closely behind by the others.

He stepped out into a room filled with people, who had probably just been having a meeting.

Miranda and Crowley were staring at him with shocked eyes, the former's starting to tear up and the later shaking in his seat.

Kanda stared as well, Mugen already displayed, ready to rush forward at any moment.

Komui's coffee was dripping out of his cup onto a pile of paperwork, causing Reever to let out a groan of suffering. The rest of the research team had frozen as well.

Lavi had jolted up, and looked like he had seen a ghost, almost stumbling backwards.

Lenalee was the only one to break through the silence, "...Allen?"


	14. Chapter 14

"A-ah.." Allen mumbled, and then swallowed, "Hello, ah..." He flushed as the Exorcists in the room remained frozen, Lenalee half a step forward from where she had been.

"It-it's been awhile, how are things going?" Allen felt the comforting presence of his family behind him, and took a step away from the door.

That was all it took. Miranda let out a small sob, and rushed forward, grabbing Allen in a strong hold, "Allen! Allen!"

"You- you're alive," Lavi choked out, his eyes wide, "But...the fight...with the Earl...you disappeared?"

Lenalee approached Allen while Miranda slowly stifled her tears into sniffles. She sniffed as well, and carefully put her arms around him.

"Ch. Bean sprout, what the hell were you thinking?" Kanda spoke, but Allen could see that he had sheathed Mugen.

"Oi, who are you calling a bean sprout so small that you wouldn't even use it to season rice!" Ed suddenly broke through the silence, startling a laugh out of Allen, and a groan out of Al.

"Fullmetal," Mustang groaned as well,but glared in Kanda's direction.

Allen could swear he saw flames spouting between the direct line of eye contact of the two.

"Allen-kun," Komui moved from his seat, and stood in front of Allen, who had had a large vampiric man join in on the hug, "We...with the Earl, you died."

"Eh?" Allen stared at them, "No, I didn't."

Lavi had moved forward a bit more, "We saw it, through a golem, the Earl killed you..."

Allen fidgeted his way out of the three's hold, and he and the others moved further into the room.

"What are you talking about? After the Earl left, the Church was trying to kill Ed and I, so we left using the Ark," Allen looked from one person to the other.

"Yeah, those bastards wouldn't leave him alone, so he opened a door," Ed spoke, and garnered strange looks from the Exorcists and research team.

"But..but we saw it!" Lenalee's face contorted to a look of pain.

"Well, as he is here right now, what you saw was obviously not the truth," Mustang spoke, and Komui nodded his head as well, having reached the same conclusion.

"For some reason, they didn't want us to know that Allen-kun was alive," Komui tilted his head back and forth.

"Not like they hadn't been trying to kill him for a year before that," Ed drawled, and Al nodded, "From what I heard, Allen had been on the run for a while."

Lavi spoke up, a confused look over his face, he opened his mouth once, thought better of it, and then spoke,"But...why didn't you stay for the trial?"

Allen's face hardened, "It was all a farce, they never would have let me out, they had it all planned from the beginning...and I didn't expect any help."

Reever growled, and turned to Komui, "I told you!"

Komui sighed, and sat back in his seat, "I should have expected that, Allen-kun, I'm sorry."

Allen looked around in shock, "What?"

Reever spoke, "We wanted to make sure we could get you out, and so Komui hanchou made it so no one could see you, so when we testified, they wouldn't be able to use it against us. Almost all of the Exorcists and personnel in the European and Asian branches were going to testify."

Allen stared, "but...Leverrier...and the other inspectors..."

Lavi broke in, "and then you disappeared, and we all thought that...the Noah had taken over."

Allen stood frozen in his spot, "No...I..."

Mustang placed a hand on Allen's shoulder, and gave a nod to Hawkeye, who moved forward to stand next to him.

Ed and Al moved next to Allen.

"It seems there has been a lot of confusion, and I am going to say that we are only going to introduce more. I am Roy Mustang, and this is Riza Hawkeye. Behind me, we have Edward and Alphonse Elric, we have come to help you with your...problem."

Komui stood up, and shook the man's hand, "Forgive me, but I haven't heard of you before, are you from a different branch?"

Edward grinned, "Try a different world."

Lavi turned toward him, but Mustang smiled, and snapped his fingers. Flames spouted around the room, dancing between people, and not touching any of the paperwork.

"We are Alchemists, and friends of Allen, I have a team prepared to come through. We are here to help you get rid of the Noah."

~~.~~

The main room was filled with people, the other Alchemists had come, and the exorcists had gathered around as well.

Komui, Mustang, Izumi,and Hawkeye all stood to the side, gesturing on pieces of paper, and writing down different ideas.

Armstrong was in the middle of the room, speaking boastfully to Crowley, who was shaking in his boots.

Fuery was bouncing up and down, talking with Number 65. Tim was flying around the two, avoiding their flailing gestures.

Reever and Havoc seemed to be commiserating over in a corner, which had darkened considerably compared to the rest of the room.

Falman, Breda, Ross and Brosch, stood in a circle near the center with Tup Dop and Johnny Gill.

The wind alchemist was leaned against a wall, talking with Miranda. Every once and a while they would both fall into an awkward silence, that was broken when one of the two apologized.

Scar stood off on his own, looking over the people in the room. Menacingly.

Allen sighed, and shook his head, at the weirdness that filled the room. He noticed the awkward looks some of the others were giving him, as if they wanted to come over and talk, but couldn't.

Lenalee was the most obvious, but even Kanda had shot him a glare or two.

He shook his head again, and ambled over to where Ed and Al were talking.

Ed looked up and smiled when he saw him, "Oi, Allen, these guys might have got a read on Envy."

"Yeah?" Allen grinned, and sidled over, looking over the map that had been laid out.

"Yup," Al responded, "Look here, they have a bunch of notes about weird things going on in some towns, but every time that they looked for an akuma, they couldn't find it."

Ed suddenly grimaced, " And there were also signs of...a man with gold hair and eyes in the same area..."

"So then Hohenheim is following Envy around?" Allen questioned, and Al shrugged.

Ed grumbled.

"We should probably take care of him, before moving onto the Noah," Ed replied.

"Who's Envy?" Miranda had moved over to them, and they noticed that a lot of eyes were on their little group.

"Envy is a homunculus, a being that was created from someone else's remains, it came through with me when I first fell into this world," Ed looked back down on the piece of paper, "He can change his shape, become any one he wants to."

Lavi's eyes widened, "You mean, like an akuma?"

Alphonse winced, "Sort of? From what Allen said...Akuma have the presence of the soul that is connected to a frame...homunculi are supposedly soulless... but have an actual body. That or the soul is...warped." He shot Brendan an apologetic look.

"And he really doesn't like Ed and I, because our father was the one who created him," Al continued.

"Homunculi are hard to kill," Brendan moved toward them as well, "They are created using the Philosopher's Stone, and so usually can be thought of as immortal...but they can be killed."

"Using the Flamel circle on Gluttony worked pretty well, but he wasn't the smartest around," Allen thought out loud, and Ed nodded.

"I'll help you with this one," Brendan sat at the table with them, ignoring Izumi's glare, "I need to."

Izumi cracked her knuckles in the background, causing Ed and Al to flinch.

Brendan stared at them with pleading eyes.

Ed stared at him, and then nodded, "I get it, fine. That bastard is probably around as well, so it shouldn't be too difficult. He has some uses." He tried to ignore the shivers going up his spine.

He just had to make sure nothing happened to the brat, or Sensei would kill him.

Al shook his head, and tapped his fingers on the piece of paper, "Nii-san is right, though, we should take care of him first."

"Before you take care of anyone, mind explaining to me how someone who is supposed to be dead, or an enemy to the Order, is standing here, plain as day?"

Allen whirled around, but soon found himself forced behind a large group of people.

"Inspector Leverrier," Komui spoke, standing at the head of the crowd, "I'm surprised that you are coming by now."

"I got an interesting report, you see, and I had to make sure it was true," Leverrier stepped forward, Link shadowing him, " and it seems it was, hand over the Noah."

Ed pushed his way through to the front of the crowd, Al following behind him, "Hell no you asshat, Allen isn't going with you again, and anyway, he isn't a Noah anymore, so piss off."

Stunned silence filled the room, and then all eyes turned to Allen, who flushed.

Even Leverrier was stunned, but he quickly recovered, "That's impossible, you can't separate a Noah from their host except through death, or in extreme cases, and even then the host will die."

Al smiled, tight, and controlled, "Well, you obviously haven't tried hard enough then."

Mustang spoke from a side, "I never got around to proper introductions of the Alchemists, did I," he continued with a drawl, and waved his hand at each person as he spoke, "Alex Louis Armstrong, the Strong Arm Alchemist, specializes in hand to hand combat, and Combat Alchemy. Taylor Yvienne, the Wind Alchemist, specializes in pressure differentiation and assassination. Scar, specializes in decomposition. Izumi Curtis...a housewife," he paused at that, and at Izumi's bright smile, he continued, "Myself, Roy Mustang, the Flame alchemist, guess. And finally, Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist, specializes in doing the impossible, and getting into extreme amounts of trouble," "-OI-," "and his brother Alphonse Elric, Steel Soul alchemist, specializes in metals, and transference of souls from one object to another."

Al smiled, and joined the line of Alchemists who had moved to the front of the room, "We can separate the human side from the Noah side, and it does work."

"So piss off, unless you are actually going to be useful, and if you aren't, get the hell out of our way, because we have work to do."

Komui stared at them in awe, and most of the rest were looking at Allen, who had moved to the front as well.

"You have been fighting this war for a long time, and I understand that, but now we can win, and if you are going to try and stop us, it won't work."

Leverrier squinted from one person to another, "And why are you interested in this matter, I have never heard of Alchemists before, but it seems strange for you to intrude now."

"Isn't it obvious!" Armstrong's voice boomed through the tense atmosphere, and suddenly all Team Mustang cringed.

Allen yelped as Armstrong grabbed him in a bear hug, tears streaming down his face.

The Exorcists looked on in shock.

"Allen is here to protect you, and one can not claim to be a responsible adult unless they help innocent children, and so, with this glorious body and technique that has been passed down the Armstrong line for generations, I shall make sure that Allen's work will not go unfinished!"

He then placed Allen down and flexed, tearing his shirt open.

Allen sat on the floor, head in his hands, smothering his laughter.

Mustang's eyes twitched at the sparkles that bounced off of Armstrong, and kneaded his forehead, "As General Armstrong was saying...we are here, because Allen needed help with this task, and from past events, wasn't sure if he would get any on this side."

Mustang looked over the Exorcists, some of whom flushed at the reprimand.

Link let out a sigh, and moved forward, his hand held out to Allen.

Allen looked up at him, and carefully took the hand.

Link didn't smile, but Allen could swear he heard some warmth in his tone, "Welcome back, Mr. Walker."

Leverrier closed his eyes, "...the Council will not approve of this."

"Then don't tell them, "Lavi spoke, sitting on top of a counter.

"They haven't helped before, they won't help now, we will handle this," Kanda had unsheathed Mugen, running his hand over the blade.

"Please don't tell them, Inspector Leverrier, " Lenalee stared straight at him, "With Allen's help, and all of his friends, we can end this."

Miranda nodded, and stepped forward, legs shaking, "Even if they do tell us to stop, we wont!"

Crowley spoke next, "We will stand by Allen, and we'll make sure that we can win, so no one else will pay."

Komui spoke last, a smile plastered over his face, "and that is our report, so Inspector Leverrier, what are you going to do?"

Leverrier stared at them for a time, before nodding once, and turning to Link, "Keep me up to date. As long as they are doing what they say they are doing, the council will not be involved, however," he turned and stared at Allen, who glared directly back, "the moment they step out of line I will know, and the Council will be made aware."

~~.~~

Komui was back in his office that evening, drawing pictures of new robots that could be used to help, when a knock sounded on his door.

Roy Mustang entered, with a grim look on his face.

"I need to talk to you about Allen," the man spoke, and Komui nodded, gesturing to the seat across from him.

Mustang sat, one leg draped over the other, "I have a few questions that no one has been able to answer, and it is ..disconcerting."

Komui sighed, and rubbed his head, "Well, I will try to answer them then, but if they are about Allen-kun's personal life..." he stopped as Mustang raised his hand and shook his head.

"No, nothing like that, just questions about your organization," Mustang straightened.

"Why are you sending children into war?"

Komui sighed, and leaned forward, messing with the papers on his desk.

"Lenalee was six, when they took her away," Komui began, not looking at anything, "Akuma killed our family, because they could tell that she was an accommodator."

"I joined this organization to stay with her, to try to keep her safe," Komui had a sad smile, "but, unless you have innocence, you can't really stand in the front lines."

"Akuma would attack anyone with innocence, and most of the time it is children who are found to be able to become exorcists, and so, they are usually taken in young."

"But what if they don't want to fight? Why is it that almost all of the exorcists I have heard of aren't even adults?" Mustang's eyes were shadowed.

"That is because they have all been killed," Komui looked up to him, "and the children are all that is left."

Mustang growled, "So you send them into battle, against foes that have killed those older than them. Do they have a say? Or is your indoctrination that good?"

Komui flinched, but his next words were strong, "If I could stop these children from having to fight... to put their lives on the line, I would, in a heartbeat. But I can't, so I do all that I can to help them."

"...and," Komui continued after a silence, "for some, a fight to the death protecting those they care about, is the better end they can have."

Mustang's entire body tensed, "What do you mean?"

"There are two kinds of innocence," Komui spoke quietly, " Types that take the form of items, and types that are part of peoples bodies, the parasitic ones take energy, a lot of energy. Especially if they are extremely powerful."

"Like Allen's."

"Allen-kun has one of the most powerful parasitic type innocence's that has ever been seen," Komui rubbed a hand over his face, "and he uses it so much. He has gotten into so many life or death situations...it is eating up his life every moment of every day..."

Mustang grimaced. That was not what he wanted to hear.

"So he is dying."

Komui nodded, "I am surprised he has lasted this long...it may be because of the Noah that he has even made it to sixteen."

They both sat in the quiet for a time.

"Fuck," Mustang swore, and Komui sighed in response.

Mustang stood, "I bet he never told those idiots."

Komui smiled, "Ah, but that is just like Allen-kun, to try not to hurt people by not telling them his problems."

Mustang shook his head, "They are way too alike, It's a wonder the universe didn't throw them together earlier..."

He trailed off, and then turned to look at Komui, "I want to make this clear, in the battles that are coming, It will not be necessary for those children to fight."

Komui shook his head with amusement, "Even if you say that, they are stubborn. They will just break out to fight."

Mustang gave a small laugh, "That I can understand, stubborn to a fault?"

Komui laughed, "It seems we all have troublesome kids running around."

"Damn brats."

"Before you leave, " Komui spoke, "You called one of your people General, are you all from an army?"

Mustang smiled, "Yes, almost everyone here is an officer in the Amestrian Forces."

"Even those two boys? Is that why you were asking?"

Mustang smirked, "Yes, even the brats...stubborn fools."

"They all seem to follow you, are you their commanding officer?"

Mustang's smirk widened, "You could say that."

~~.~~

Al and Brendan sat next to the windows, and Allen smiled at the looks of awe on their faces.

After Leverrier had left, they had spent the rest of the day preparing for the battle, and getting in contact with all of the Exorcists that would follow their cause.

Allen, Al, Edward, and Brendan, had all gotten prepared to leave the next day, heading out to Rouen, where Envy might have been seen last.

The door to the carriage suddenly slid open, and three other people squished themselves into the seats.

"So! Where are we going!" Lavi grinned, and Allen stared at him in shock.

"Eh?"

"Allen, you didn't really think we would let you be the only Exorcist, did you?" Lenalee smiled and gave a polite nod to the other teenagers in the car.

Kanda just glared.

"But..what?" Allen stared from one person to the other.

Al smiled, "Come on, Nii-san, Brendan, let's go check out the rest of the train!"

Brendan quickly followed behind, and Ed after them, but only after giving the Exorcists a glare.

The door closed, and the train car fell into silence.

"You didn't need to come," Allen spoke, looking out the window, "We can handle it, we did it before."

"Idiot." Allen looked up in shock as Lenalee spoke immediately, tears forming around her eyes.

"You idiot...we..." she rubbed her eyes, and Lavi suddenly took over.

"We messed up, all of us. You always looked out for us, and well, " he smiled, his eyes closed, but it was bitter, "we just didn't do the same for you. So that isn't happening again. Look, even Yuu came along on his own!"

Kanda glared at Lavi, his eyes flashing, but he just settled back in his seat with a grumble.

Lenalee, leaned forward, and rested a hand on Allen's knee, "We are so sorry Allen, and we know, that we failed you when you needed us... and then you died...and we realized..."

"It won't be happening again, beansprout, " Kanda interrupted. Allen began to grin, "Ah."

Allen settled back in his seat, a smile playing on his lips.

He waited counting down from three, as Lavi fidgeted in his seat.

Lavi smiled sheepishly, "But seriously, how in the world did you run into those guys?"

Allen laughed, and settled back, a small feeling of contentment rising in him, "Well...it all started on a train."

~~.~~

"Wow," Lenalee grinned, and she smiled, "That is amazing, I never knew the Ark had those kind of abilities."

Lavi's eyes were wide, his mouth hanging open.

Even Kanda had an expression other than annoyance on his face.

Allen smiled, and shrugged, "I didn't either, but I mean, it does make sense, with how we think the Ark works."

He then laughed as Lavi started to question him again, "I told you all I know about it, if you want to know more, ask my brothers."

"Brothers?" Lenalee straightened in her seat, and Allen flushed, rubbing his head.

"Ah, yeah, I guess..they officially adopted me? Unofficially adopted me?" His smile widened, "But yeah, brothers."

Lenalee jumped from her seat, and grabbed him in a hug, "I'm so happy for you, Allen."

Allen smiled.

"But..." Lavi trailed off, "What are you going to do, after?"

Kanda looked up, and Lenalee exhaled.

Allen hadn't even thought about that.

"I..." he trailed off, a confused look spreading across his face.

"I never thought about it," Allen spoke slowly.

Lenalee leaned back, a small smile played on her lips, and a gentle look on her face, "Well, you don't need to decide now, or maybe ever. Here, let's go find your family, and talk about this Envy that you are going to fight."

Allen let Lenalee pull him out of the train car, and Lavi followed behind with a grin.

Kanda brought up the rear, rolling his eyes.

Allen felt a small smidgen of fear roll in his stomach.

Did he have to choose?


	15. Chapter 15

"We sort of...stand out a bit, don't you agree?" Lavi spoke as he lazily followed behind the others, arms crossed behind his head.

Lenalee laughed, and Ed raised an eyebrow to look around at the ragtag group.

Al and Ed were wearing their stereotypical red coat, with Izumi's symbol sewed onto the back. It had been one of the first things Ed had gotten when he had finally made it back home.

Lenalee, Kanda, and Lavi all wore the Exorcist's uniform, the black and white standing out harshly.

Brendan wore a gray coat, with Izumi's symbol sewed into the arm, and it had multiple rows of buttons going up the front.

Finally, Allen was wearing a long black coat, with his hood up.

"Heh, " Al grinned, "and I thought Nii-san and I were too obnoxious."

"We might not even have to smoke him out, he might just come at us because he recognizes our clothing," Ed smirked, and Allen shook his head with mirth.

"I'm betting on my eye targeting him first," Allen smiled, "At least it is useful in that way."

"Yeah, and it least it stop targeting Brendan all the time!" Ed grinned, and Brendan kicked his shin, "Ow! Why you-"

"Nii-san," Al grabbed Ed's arm, "Come on, we need to keep looking."

"Fine, fine," Ed growled, and Brendan huffed.

"Beansprout, your eye works on this thing as well?" Kanda spoke up, and Allen turned with a tight grin.

"Ah, ah, Bakanda, now, trying saying my name with me, I know it has been a while, but even you should be able to get it right after some practice!" Allen smiled, and Lavi quickly moved away, face blanching.

"Now say it after me, Al-len."

"Beansprout," Kanda's eye twitched, and Allen beamed even stronger, "Ah, I knew you were an idiot, you can't even properly say a person's name, now," he clapped,"Let's try again!"

Al was laughing into his hand as Allen and Kanda soon got into some kind of hair pulling match, "He reminds me of Fuhrer Mustang."

Ed groaned, "Sounds just like the Bastard too, just you wait, they will join forces! That is how the world will end!"

Lenalee walked towards them, avoiding the scuffling duo, "Mustang is like Kanda?"

Al hummed, "They sound the same, and he is always picking on Nii-san for being short-"

"-who are you calling short!"

"But otherwise, they are pretty different!" Al smiled.

"Edward? Alphonse?" A voice called out, startling everyone out of their thoughts.

Ed snarled, and whipped around, while Al breathed out suddenly.

Van Hohenheim stood in the middle of the paved road, eyes wide and hair swinging behind him in his usual high pony tail. He was wearing a large tan jacket over a beige vest, with beige pants and a white work shirt. He stared steadily from one boy back to the other, a look of shock on his face.

"Dad?" Al walked forward, and Hohenheim was still staring at them both shock turning into awe.

"Bastard," Ed growled, his fist clenched by his sides.

Lavi stood back, and quietly whispered to the others, "Maaaaybe we shouldn't be here..."

Allen shrugged his way forward, but made sure to stay out of the confrontation.

Hohenheim looked confused, "I thought Edward was the only one who fell into this world."

Ed snarled again, his fist clenched, "Yeah, thanks for that! I found my way home a while ago, and now we are here to finish some business."

"Nii-san," Al sighed, and Ed just glared, "We are looking for Envy, and we think you have been following him, is he around here?"

Hohenheim stared from one to the other, "Ah, yes, last I saw, he was here, why are you looking for him?"

Ed let out a huff, and walked over to Allen, while Al and Hohenheim spoke.

"So that is your..." Allen trailed off, and Ed just nodded, "That's the bastard."

Allen frowned, and then dragged a protesting Edward back over to Hohenheim, "We do need to talk to him though."

Ed let out another growl, but stomped back over to the man.

"So you are here to kill him?" Hohenheim sighed.

"Yes," Al nodded.

Hohenheim looked skyward, and hummed, "No, you aren't."

"Oi! Old Man, like hell we aren't!" Ed shouted but Hohenheim shook his head.

"No. I created him, I am the one that will destroy him, once I find him," Hohenheim spoke his word with finality.

"Ch! As if! You have been following him around forever, and haven't done anything!" Ed challenged, his finger pointing viciously at the older man.

"Nii-san..." Al sighed.

Hohenheim's eyes steeled, "No, Edward. I created him, it is my fault that he has caused all of this chaos. I will be the one to stop him."

"Then is it all right if we help you?" Allen spoke quietly, flinching at the angered expression that Ed had, but continued, "I will be able to sense if he is near, and that should help you find him if he is still nearby."

Hohenheim looked at him for the first time, "How can you do that, and, I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself."

He straightened, "I am Van Hohenheim."

"I'm Allen Walker," Allen nodded, behind him, and gestured, "That is Kanda Yuu, Lenalee Lee, Lavi, and Brendan Curtis. And I have the ability to see...souls."

Ed grimaced at Allen's politeness, but didn't say a word.

Hohenheim nodded to himself, "If you could find him, that would be useful, so I wouldn't say no to your help."

Allen nodded, and the group walked forward. He strode next to Ed, who was glaring at the ground and grinding his teeth, and placed his hand on his shoulder.

Ed looked up with a flash, but his face turned from rage to just a grimace, "Fucking bastard, I don't see why we can't handle this ourselves."

Allen nodded, and gave him a small smile, "Yes, but we might need his help, and this way, you can keep track of him so you can beat him up later."

That started an evil laugh out of Edward, which made all of the Exorcists in the group exchange looks.

Was it possible that Kuro-Allen rubbed off on people?

~~.~~

"I've heard an interesting rumor that a certain Exorcists has suddenly reappeared."

"Oh?"

"That little clown that ran away?"

"Yes, seems he was seen in his headquarters..."

"..."

"Tykki, Wisely, go see if this is true."

"Yes, yes, on it"

~~.~~

After wandering around for most of the day, the Envy team had found a small inn to use for the night.

Allen was sitting comfortably in the downstairs lounge area, relaxing as he sunk further into the plush chair. Edward had gone upstairs to shower, and Al had followed him up. Lavi had gone out, probably to find more information, Lenalee had gone up to her room, as well, and Kanda had disappeared as was usual.

Allen sat up slowly as he heard someone settling in the chair across from his. Hohenheim sat in the chair, his back straight, but more or less relaxed.

He wasn't looking at Allen, but rather in some middle space. Allen looked at him for a time, but then went back to resting his head on the chair.

They sat there in an ever growing awkward silence. Allen began to fidget in his chair, and decided that he would go for a walk.

Hohenheim seemed to be lost in his thoughts, so Allen quietly left the room.

~~.~~

A few minutes later, Hohenheim looked up with a nod.

"I just have one thing to ask you..." he petered off as he saw he was alone in the room.

"...," Hohenheim stared around him.

"Ah...he left."

~~.~~

Allen shrugged his coat closer over his shoulders, the evening had a bit of a biting chill setting in. He let his hood fall back, and breathed out into the frigid air. His breath fogged, and he let out a soft noise.

"Do I have to choose?" He spoke softly, and walked further from the hotel, sniffling a little in the cold.

He ended up leaning back against an old brick building, staring up at the constellations.

"If I had to choose..." he trailed off with a scowl.

Honestly...it wasn't a choice at all. He laughed a little at the thought, and rubbed his hand's over his face.

He looked up at the sky again. It was strange, some of the constellations from this world and the other were the same, and others existed only on one side.

Edward had said that it might mean that the two worlds had at one point been joined, and then diverged, but even for him it was just speculation.

A grinding noise started, forcing Allen out of his thoughts, and he froze as a gear appeared over his eye. The red gleam singled in on a figure, grinning at him with a disturbing smile on his face.

But behind that figure...

Allen yelled, and leapt to the side, just in time to miss being stabbed through the stomach.

"Oiya, oiya, seems one of the little team went off by himself!" Envy grinned, his eyes flashing.

He moved forward with such speed that Allen barely had time to activate his innocence and jump back again, rolling across the ground, and finally landed crouched down, ready to move.

"Tell me where they are! Those damn Elrics! That fucker Hohenheim! I'll kill them!" Envy growled, and Allen jumped forward in response, his sword swinging forward.

Envy easily dodged, and swung underneath him to punch his face, but Allen flipped back, raised up by holding onto the buildings that surrounded him.

"Tell me!" Envy laughed hysterically, "And maybe I'll let you live long enough to say goodbye!" Envy pounced forward, but suddenly took the shape of Edward as he came in for the punch.

Allen didn't even flinch, and dashed forward, sliding under a kick, and nearly slashing Envy in half.

Envy's eyes widened with mirth, "Wow, didn't even stop you, huh?"

Allen's eyes tightened, "I can see the real you, no disguise you put on will stop that."

Envy froze.

Slowly his eyes rose to stare at Allen's face, and Allen felt a tendril of fear slip through him.

"You can see it," Envy spoke, his voice going from quiet to a primal growl.

He sprung forward so fast that Allen couldn't even see him. Allen felt himself being punched in the gut, the pain springing through his entire form as he was hurtled back towards the main street.

"GAH!" he let out a sound of pain, as he was kicked by Envy again as he hit the ground, rolling for a distance, and then stopping, curled up into a ball.

He struggled, up, and was able to heave himself up using his arms, when he was kneed in the stomach, and crumpled back onto the ground. A gurgling cough broke out of him, and he opened his eyes just in time to see a large blade headed straight towards him.

He rolled to the side, and just missed being impaled. The ground cracked, and he struggled to his knees, pushing himself upward.

He got back up again as Envy came raging towards him, and barely managed to stagger backwards just out of range.

"Ghh," Allen grimaced, and held his side.

Suddenly, he became aware of the traffic that surrounded them, bystanders staring in shock, not moving from their spots on the road. They had moved back to the main road.

"What are you looking at brat, you don't have time to be lazing about!"

Allen gasped, and lurched to the side, his breath knocked out of him once again.

"Pay attention, shit head, what are you looking at...oooooh~" Envy grinned.

"Oh, this is so easy! You worried about all the little humans, aren't you, " Envy purred

And pounced.

He rushed at a man nearby, who was stood stock still, his legs shaking.

"NO!" Allen shouted, and he rushed forward, placing himself in front of the man as Envy's blade came down.

~~.~~

Mustang watched as his team spoke with some of the Exorcist's research members. It seemed that this trip would at least give them a lot more technological advances, as well as ones that could be used for alchemy.

Hawkeye stood at his side, watching over the room itself. The rest of the members had found their own things to do in the base or were exploring the Ark (after multiple warnings from Allen about the endless pits).

Mustang's eyes glided over to the man the Inspector from the day before had left behind. Link was standing by the wall, holding on to a large sheaf of papers, going through each page.

Mustang straightened, and left the main office room, to stand in the middle of the large tower. He stared down at the empty middle section.

It was a very strange setup, hard to defend, and seemed slightly unstable. He rubbed his hand through his hair, and sighed.

"Well, you are someone I haven't seen before!" A voice spoke, and Mustang vaulted to the side, his fingers posed to snap.

Two men stood in front of him, one wearing a white uniform, with long hair down his back, and another standing behind the first, a scarf covering his head.

Mustang grimaced, and straightened, "If you want introductions perhaps you could go first."

The one in front let out a laugh, "Well, as one gentleman to the other, I am Tyki Mikk, and this is Wisely."

"He knows that," Wisely spoke, his eyes glaring.

Roy snapped, and Wisely pushed Tyki out of the way.

"Whoa," Tyki spoke, as the flames dove past him, "That is new, too!"

Mustang smirked, and then dove back again, as shots rang out from behind him.

Riza stood tall, her eyes fixed on the two men.

"More new faces!" Tyki smirked, "Where did they all come from?"

"Sir," Riza spoke, and the two stood side by side, "Which ones?"

"Tyki Mikk and Wisely," Mustang smirked, "It seems we are starting the fights a little early.

Tyki waved his hands in front of his face, "oh, no, we don't want to fight, we just want to see if the boy is here, have you seen that little clown?"

"They came here with him," Wisely spoke again.

"Hmm," Tyki tapped his chin, "So he isn't here now, huh? Ah well..." His grin morphed into a smirk, "looks like we can have some fun after all!"

A swarm of butterflies surrounded Tyki, and he rushed forward at Mustang.

Riza shot, and dived to the side, while Mustang snapped, causing the Teez to catch fire. Some drifted to the ground, and he quickly moved back.

~~.~~

Wisely watched with interest, but suddenly a sense of dread filled him. A pounding sensation filled his head, and he turned to see where it was coming from.

"ARE YOU THE ONE NAMED WISELY?" General Armstrong flexed in front of him, and Wisely let out a sharp groan.

"IT IS MY DUTY TO FIGHT YOU! SO COME AT ME WITH ALL YOU HAVE!" Armstrong didn't even wait and rushed forward, his hand punching into the ground, and large cobbles that looked like his face came shooting at Wisely.

"Geh!" Wisely wove around the projectiles, and quickly reached out with his Demon Eye to try to crush the strange man's mind.

~~.~~

Tyki, had been swiftly moving forward, trying to pierce the man in front of him. Every time he got close, and the Teez were almost upon him, fire would spread and destroy more and more of them.

The man was easily dodging his attacks, and every time he moved back, shots rang out.

Tyki was constantly having to phase in and out, and it seemed there was no end to the barrage.

"How are you doing that!" He cried out as more of his butterflies fell to the ground in cinders.

Mustang smirked, and Tyki swore, as he ducked a literal artillery of bullets being sent his way.

He growled, and was about to move forward, but he suddenly heard a shrill scream from behind him.

He whirled around to see Wisely fall to the ground foaming at the mouth.

"What!?" Tyki burst out, and then ducked to dodge another pillar of fire.

"Oi!" Tyki's eyes narrowed, "Now this isn't so much fun anymore."

He reached forward, and phased through another pillar of fire.

He moved forward, and Mustang suddenly felt it getting harder to breath. His limbs fell heavy by his sides, and everything around him was beginning to blur.

"Sorry about this, but the Earl really wouldn't want us to get caught up in here," He shrugged with a smile.

Mustang struggled to look up and snapped a large smirk over his face.

The vacuum disappeared, and Tyki was thrown back with the force of the blast. He groaned loudly, and felt multiple bullets pierce his skin.

He made to stand, but a chill caused him to slowly turn around.

A demon stood behind him, flames branching out from behind her, a large smile stretched ominously over her face.

Then she clapped.

~~.~~

"DON'T YOU FUCKING TOUCH HIM!" a loud shout raced by, and Envy's blade skittered off of a automail arm.

Allen groaned, and almost collapsed, before a hand roughly pulled him up, and away.

"Allen!" Al grabbed his shoulders, and moved him further from where his brother was fighting, "are you ok?"

Allen gave a small grimace, "M'fine, just got a bit roughed up." He coughed roughly into his hand.

Al glared, and Allen felt himself being carefully shoved into another pair of arms.

"Watch him," Al spoke, and rushed off just in time to pull Ed out of the way of a blow, and alchemize a pillar to block Envy's next kick.

Brendan rushed forward at the same time, coming up from behind Envy, and managed to hit him over the head.

Envy turned to stab him, but his move was blocked by a thin sword.

"WHO THE HELL ARE ALL YOU BRATS!" Envy called out, and was thrown back as he was kicked in the face, Lenalee flitting above the battle.

Allen looked up slowly, and saw that Lavi was the one holding onto him, his eyes glaring daggers at the creature in the middle of all of the chaos. He turned when he felt Allen's look, and smiled.

"You ok, shortie?"

Allen groaned, but bit back the sound.

A rough hand landed gently on his shoulder, and Hohenheim looked down at him with concern, "Where were you hurt?"

Allen grimaced again, and whispered, "Stomach."

Hohenheim nodded, and Allen let out a gasp, as he suddenly felt all the bruises that had been there fade away.

He stood slowly, and stared at the tall man, "How?"

Hohenheim had a small smile on his face, "It seems alchemy works again, if you will excuse me."

Hohenheim moved forward into the chaos, and Lavi carefully made sure Allen was fine standing on his own.

"That was...so cool," Lavi smiled, and shoved Allen's shoulder gently.

Allen laughed, and rubbed his stomach.

He turned back towards the scene, just in time to see Envy get punched across the face by Ed, and Al transmute the ground to hold him down.

Before he could change to escape Hohenheim placed his hand on Envy's chest.

"I'm sorry, " he spoke quietly, but the words echoed around the street.

A flash of gold, and Envy screamed, writhing on the ground.

Soon the gold faded, and all that was left was a pile of dust.

Allen breathed out, and was promptly tackled, Edward hanging off of him, his face holding an expression he rarely used.

Fear.

"Are you all right? Allen!" Ed grabbed him, and started poking at him.

Allen let out a small laugh, "I'm fine now, Mr. Hohenheim fixed me up."

Ed gave out a small sigh, but didn't let go of him. Al sidled up as well, concern blatant on his face.

"What were you thinking?" Ed hid a smile as Al started to rant, "You are as bad as Nii-san! Why did you go off on your own! We heard the explosions, and I just knew you were in trouble! AAAGH!"

Al rubbed his face, and flushed, as he heard the sound of giggles from behind him.

Lenalee was facing away from them, her mouth covered by her hand trying to hide her fit of giggles.

Allen flushed as well, "Sorry..."

Ed glared at him, "Idiot!" He hit Allen gently over the head with his automail hand, "No going off on your own!"

"Nii-san...you really aren't one to talk.."

"SHUT UP!"

Allen let out laugh as well, and he stretched his hands over his head.

After the alchemists fixed up the street, the group moved back towards the inn.

Ed stayed behind for a few seconds, staring at Hohenheim, who was himself staring at the spot where Envy had laid.

"...thanks,bastard," Ed spoke quietly, and then hurtled off to catch up to his brothers.

A small smile flitted over Hohenheim's lips, and he turned to follow the group as well.

~~.~~

"I just got a report from my darling sister!" Komui twirled in his seat, "It seems that Envy has been taken care of, and with minimal injuries!"

He twirled again, "And they found Hohenheim as well, and he will be joining."

"Good," Mustang spoke, "It will be easier if we have more people who can use the circle."

Izumi smirked, "At least we know it definitely works now."

Mustang spared a small glance over at the woman, "Did you really have to hit them that hard?"

Her face lighted up with a demonic grin, "Oh, yes, now they aren't a problem are they? Weaklings."

Komui blanched a little at the memory, the two former Noah were now laid up in the Doctor's wing, with extremely large bumps on their heads.

"From what we can tell, in the past...the other Noah know when one of their kind is killed," Komui leaned forward in his chair.

"They didn't react to Mr. Walker, though," Mustang replied, and Komui nodded.

"That might be because he wasn't fully taken over."

Komui nodded to himself, and then looked back over to Mustang.

"How did you defeat Tyki? None of our weapons seem to have an effect on him when he creates that zone?" Komui asked, and Mustang smirked.

He lounged back in his chair, "He creates that vacuum by rejecting Oxygen in the air causing the air pressure to drop significantly. However, nature abhors a vacuum, and it just so happens that what I specialize in is changing the density of the oxygen in my surroundings. I knew how he worked, down to the very particles. He had no idea how I worked."

He smirked, "Simply put, he didn't have a chance."

"And Wisely?"

Roy's face paled "...he went into a place where no one dare tread. That is all I am saying about it."

Komui nodded, his eyebrows raised, but he moved on, "Allen-kun and everyone will be back by tonight, but I don't know when the Earl will make his next move."

Mustang nodded, hand coming up to his chin, "Is it possible to move to a more defensible position? This tower isn't built for the fights that are going to be coming."

Komui hummed, "Well, quite simply, we know they will come here. We could set up outside the tower, but then we would be in direct line of sight from the Akuma..." He stopped as Mustang smirked.

"I think you have forgotten something," Mustang grinned, and stretched, moving towards the door, "and that would be Alchemy."


	16. Chapter 16

"What...what in the world is that?" Allen stared at in shock and fear at the large statue that was now standing in the middle of the grounds in front of the Black Order building.

"That is a monstrosity," Ed deadpanned, trying to shield his and Al's eyes.

Al whimpered.

Lenalee stared at it as if in a trance, "Isn't that one of the people who came through with you?"

"Yes," Allen replied, and tried to draw his eyes away, but found that he physically could not.

"Edward..." Al spoke softly, and then his voice hardened, "It needs to be destroyed."

Ed's face twitched into a vicious smile, and he charged forward with a yell, Al following close behind,

"NOOOOO MY BEAUTIFUL MASTERPIECE!" Armstrong tried to stop the two raging alchemists, but soon the five story tall replica of Alex Louis Armstrong found its way to being rubble littering the ground.

"Beansprout...your friends are weird," Kanda deadpanned, and Lavi nodded vigorously in approval, as they watched General Armstrong chase the Elrics around the newly fortified base, and Mustang's crew shout cheers of thanks and approval from afar.

Allen laughed, and then the rest of the group wandered into the new buildings and set up that had been created over the open grounds in front of the gate.

"You've been busy," Allen commented to Hawkeye, who nodded.

"That tower is not easily defensible, and with the fight that is coming, it made more sense to prepare. Also, while you were away two of the Noah attacked the base. They are now in the hospital."

"Two of the Noah! Which ones?" Allen replied quickly.

"Tyki Mikk and Wisely are now under observation...they haven't woken up yet because Ms. Curtis...well...they are now indisposed," Mustang moved in next to Hawkeye, he nodded to the people there, "We heard about Envy, good work, and you must be Van Hohenheim, I'm Roy Mustang, would you mind coming with me for a moment, there is a lot that needs to be said."

Hohenheim turned away from where he had been watching his children try to sink Armstrong into a pile of mud, only to be tackled by their teacher, "Of course, lead the way."

"Wow...it really is like a war..." Lenalee looked at the troops who were stationed underneath outposts, and around the area.

"It is a smart way to set up, too, this way most of the troops will be out of any line of fire of the Akuma," Lavi noted, and nodded to the low roofs and knocked a fist against one of the barricades, "This stuff is solid, it is going to take more than one blast for it to fall."

"Ah, there you are," Reever walked over to them, and nodded, "Chief has some stuff to go over the rest of you about, placement along the battlefield and what not, ah, except you Allen, apparently you are wanted over the in Alchemist camp for a bit,"

The parties nodded and split up, Allen moving over the large crowd that was forming around Fuhrer Mustang.

He didn't see Ed, Al, Hohenheim, or Izumi there, but he moved forward next to Havoc and Breda, who both gave him grins.

"Well troops, this is the last stage of this battle. We believe that we will be under immediate attack in less than eight hours, so all stations will be manned constantly. You main priorities are keeping the Noah down until the array is activated. The array is being drawn over the entire battlefield, so once all of the Noah are here, it can be activated once and be over with. You will not be engaging the Akuma, understood? The disease that they cause has no cure, and the Exorcists are trained to deal with it. There are lines from every bunker to every other, and if yours in under attack, call in immediately so we can get back up," Roy stopped speaking for a moment, to stare around the group.

He looked at each of them, and many in return gave him grim nods, "For those of you who were chosen to specialize with a specific Noah, you were given pictures and a list of abilities that you are going to have to work against. The Exorcists will be moving around the battle, so they may be helping as well if they have time. Allen," Mustang turned directly to him, and Allen stood straighter, "From what I heard, you will be the Earl's main target, and that is what is going to keep you busy for most of the battle, are you going to be able to do this?"

Allen nodded, "Al, Hohenheim, and Izumi are most likely going to be working on the array, and Ed is probably going to be helping me. We've fought before, and now I have the element of surprise as well."

Roy nodded, and walked back to the center, "Do not risk your lives unnecessarily, there are people waiting for you back home. Dismissed."

The company saluted, and went off to their stations. Allen nodded at the Fuhrer, and moved to sit on top of one of the bunkers, his eyes looking overhead.

Now the only thing left to do was to wait.

~~.~~

Dusk was coming in soon, but Allen hadn't moved from his spot, still looking up at the sky. Honestly, he was having trouble comprehending everything that was going on. This could be it. This could be the end of a millennial long fight, that had killed more people than any other force on earth. He ran a hand through his long hair, and let out a stuttered breath.

He looked over to the side briefly, and saw Ed climbing up the bunker, and settling down next to him.

"Al, Sensei, and the old man have the array set up, but we are going to have to wait until all the Noah are here to make it work."

Allen grimaced, "It is going to be difficult to keep them all down, you know."

Ed flashed a predatory grin, "Yeah, maybe, but that is what we are here for, so bring it on!"

Allen laughed, and laid back against the bunker roof, "Hey, Ed, what are you going to do after this?"

Ed hummed to himself, and kicked his boots in a steady rhythm against the wall, "Dunno, I mean, I didn't really think that far ahead. Maybe explore a bit, get some research done. Piss of Mustang, you know, normal stuff."

Allen laughed, and stared as the sun sunk even lower on the horizon, "Sounds like you all right."

"What about you?" Ed voiced echoed around in the empty air.

"I think I'm going to explore," Allen spoke, "I never really got to explore for fun before, and I really want to see the world."

Ed nodded, and then stopped and slowly turned around to stare at Allen. Allen grimaced and sat up, gently tugging Timcanpy out of his sleeve.

"They are here," He spoke into the communicator, and the entire base fell into a hushed silence.

"All right, I'm getting down below until we see what is coming, don't be stupid!" Ed growled out, and Allen nodded.

Before Ed went down, he bent over and ruffled Allen's hair, "We are going to win."

Allen nodded, and stood on the roof of the bunker, staring out into the sky as the last lights of day began to gleam off of the metal of the Akuma hordes that were swarming towards them.

"We will win," He spoke, and without a sound, he activated his innocence, and took off into the fight.

~~.~~

Hawkeye waited, her eyes scanning the battlefield that was surrounding her. Exorcists moved around from place to place, easily taking down Akuma after Akuma before they could even reach the barricades. One general in particular was throwing giants swords at them, and destroying them in one blow, while another person was using some kind of music to keep the hordes down.

Her eyes glanced over once, again, and her hand moved to her mike.

"Spotted, Jasdevi, next to the B8 bunker, moving together."

"Got it, Scar approaching," Was the curt reply, and Hawkeye went back to watching the crowd.

Fuery worked quickly to switch between group to group, and soon got another call in, "Hey we got a gross one over here, bunker A3, Fiidora, I think?"

Fuery quickly sent a message to Taylor, who immediately signed off to get his target in sight.

"No problem, right?" He spoke to himself, and then went back to focusing on the switchboard.

~~.~~

"Oh! Who is he!" Jasdero scratched his head with his gun.

"Dunno, maybe we should ask him!" Devit responded, and twirled around.

"You wouldn't happen to be an exorcist, would you?"

Scar cracked his knuckles.

~~.~~

"Scar has engaged...holy shit."

~~.~~

"Incoming, a whole group, I see Sheril, Maitora, Toraido, Maashima, and Road. No signs on Lulu Belle, every one stay on high alert!" Hawkeye cried into the mike, and then moved to look through the scope of her gun.

It was time to start.

~~.~~

"We are only going to have one good shot at this, when they are all down,let us know, " Al called into the receiver, and put it down to stand next to his father and teacher.

~~.~~

Allen was blindly destroying one Akuma after another, not paying attention to levels, or how many, just trying to make sure that none of them made it past the barricade.

Then he was thrown back, and landed on the ground with a roll.

The Millennium Earl stood over him, his grin stretching across his face.

"Allen Walker."

~~.~~

"What the hell is he!" Devit cried, as yet another one of their weapons was completely destroyed.

Scar burst forward again, and grabbed Jasdero's face, instantly causing him to crumble to the ground.

"One down." He then swung back around to Devit, who was staring in shock.

~~.~~

Fiidora jumped quickly around, moving as more and more slices of highly pressurized blades of air surrounded him.

"Hey! Stop! Where are you?!" Fiidora cried into the wind, not noticing the figure nearby constantly twirling his blade.

Taylor activated the array again, and drove the point forward, a blast of pressure hurling from his blade, and throwing Fiidora to the ground.

Fiidora stood up and turned around, a wicked grin slipping across his face, "Found you~"

He launched forward inhumanely fast, and Taylor rolled to the side, barely missing getting hit. He swiped again, and cut one of Fiidora's arm's off, but couldn't move fast enough to dodge the next attack.

He closed his eyes, and time stopped.

Literally.

Miranda stood nearby, panting and nodded to him.

He smiled, "THANK YOU!"

Miranda gave a small smile as well, and then the fight continued.

~~.~~

BANG

Shot after shot rang out from Hawkeye's hiding place, and Sheril found himself constantly under enemy fire from all directions. He could even move a step forward without being forced back another three by the shear force of the gun fire.

"Gah!" He tried to reach forward, but his arm was shot seven times.

He wasn't going anywhere.

~~.~~

Toraido stepped forward, his blade held loosely in his hand. Two figures stood in front of him, one smirking and wearing a military uniform, and the other had a sneer on his face a sword pointed at his direction.

With a snap the fight started.

~~.~~

"DO YOU NOT SEE THE GLORIOUSNESS OF THIS BODY, YOU SHOULD GIVE UP NOW JUST TO BASK IN THE GLORY" Armstrong flexed, and Maashima nodded.

"Yeah, pretty sweet, let me try," and suddenly his body grew to be three times its original size.

"Why me," Chaoji huddled in the back corner, trying to not look at the bodybuilding competition that was happening in front of him.

~~.~~

Maitora snickered as he made his way into the Black Order base, if he could just reach the gate, then there would be no problems winning this fight.

He rounded a corner, and a blinking red light filled his eyes.

"Enemy has entered the base, Komuriin 3 ENGAGE!" A war cry sounded, and the tower shook with explosions.

~~.~~

Black Hayate growled, causing Havoc to look down and follow his line of sight. Lenalee was walking along the battlefield, seemingly not paying attention to all of the fights going on over head.

"Got sights on Lulu Belle, moving in."

Havoc grabbed his shotgun, and most of Fort Briggs followed behind.

~~.~~

"Aw, it is my favorite doll!" Road smiled, and twirled around as Lenalee tried to hit her.

"You know, I really missed playing with you, I can't play with Allen any more, the Earl won't let me," She pouted, and threw a large candle at Lenalee.

Lenalee dodged, and sprang forward again, twirling around Road.

Right when Road turned her back to follow, Brendan clapped his hands together, and a large wall surrounded her, dragging her to the ground.

"Oh, someone new to play with!" She grinned, and Brendan soon found himself under the attack.

~~.~~

"Allen, Walker," the Earl repeated, his grin growing tight across his face, "Where are Tyki Mikk and Wisely?"

"Dead," Allen spoke steadily, rising from his crouch, "The fourteenth is gone too. It is actually really easy to get rid of them."

Without a warning, the Earl slammed his blade down, and Allen countered. They danced around each other, blades twirling, in the final act of the Joker and the Clown.

~~.~~

Devit crumpled to the ground, not even able to twitch. Scar stood above both of them, staring at the craters that surrounded him.

Maybe this was enough.

~~.~~

Fiidora found himself under a constant barrage of invisible cutting blades, and whenever he seemed to get close enough to strike, the man he was fighting disappeared before him without even a thought.

"STAY STILL DAMN YOU" He growled as he was again forced to the ground from the overwhelming pressure.

"...nah."

Miranda hid a giggle.

~~.~~

Sheril was laying on the ground not moving.

He was also still being shot.

Ouch.

~~.~~

Chaojii stared in some kind of horrible awe, as the two people showing off their muscles turned into three. A man with dark hair joined in as well, and the three muscle bound idiots were flexing away, not even paying attention to the battle that was going on.

"CAN YOU JUST STOP!" Chaojii yelled and ran forward, knocking the Noah right underneath the chin, and sending him sailing backwards.

He landed on the ground in a heap, and suddenly Chaojii found himself in the middle of the muscle bound monstrosities.

"Help me," he whimpered.

~~.~~

"Hey, Lenalee, what you doing down here?" Havoc sidled up to her, and the fake Lenalee turned to smile at him, only for it to slip off of her face with a small whimper.

Standing behind Havoc, the Fort Briggs troops readied their guns.

Black Hayate howled.

So did Lulu Belle.

~~.~~

Toraido easily dodged under another one of Kanda's swings, but barely made it away from the next rush of flames unscathed.

"Ch," Kanda grumped, and swung again, the force behind his blade increasing with every blow.

Mustang stood back and watched for a moment, a brilliant gleam filling his eyes. Right as Kanda swung, he snapped, and the world was engulfed in flames as the fires reached along the blade, and tore into Toraido.

Kanda turned to glare at him, but Mustang just smirked, and snapped again as Toraido tried to stand.

"Brat."

~~.~~

Brendan and Lenalee were bouncing back and forth, staying as far away from Road's constructs as the could.

When she would try to engage one, the other would step in and direct fire.

Lenalee twirled around again, trying to find a way to even get close to her.

It wasn't working out too well.

~~.~~

"Hey, Earl," Allen spoke while they were latched in a fight in the air, "You know, I learned who that blade actually belongs to."

He danced backwards out of a swing, his own blade following the guard back.

"So the traitor told you," The Earl mused, dashing forward again.

Allen took a breath," He was only a traitor because you made him into one, he was only a traitor because you said that you would kill what was precious to him."

A clap filled the air, and suddenly huge spikes stuck out of the ground, pointed directly at the Earl.

Edward watched the fight intensely, using his alchemy to distract the Earl whenever it seemed like he was getting too close.

Allen slashed forward again, using the pillars to shove off of to add speed.

"What are you talking about? I let him keep his precious Mana, that was all he wanted," The Earl moved even quicker, skimming Allen across the chest.

Ed yelled out, a huge barrage of stones rained down on the Earl, who was only just able to dodge.

The two now stood on the ground, Ed slightly behind Allen, ready to transmute in a second.

"You were going to kill his son though," Allen spoke, and it seemed as if all the battles around them froze.

The Earl as well stood frozen, his sword almost dropping out of shock, "Son?"

Allen nodded, his face hooded, "Yes...his son...who was born with innocence."

Road turned away from her battle and stared at both of them in shock, "Neah...he had a son?"

Allen closed his eyes, and then looked up at the Earl, pain filling his expression, "Yes...and when he found out his child had innocence, he would do whatever he could to save him...even turn against his family."

"Who was it," The Earl spoke, his voice no longer the monstrous thing that it had been before, "Who was his son, who would dare turn him against us."

"Me," Allen smiled, and ran forward, his sword slicing down.

~~.~~

Road hadn't moved from her spot, and she fell slowly to the ground.

"Allen...is Neah's son?" her legs folded underneath her, "but...he..."

Lenalee was frozen in shock as well, her hands moved in front of her mouth in a silent gasp.

Brendan's hand moved to transmitter, "Road is down."

~~.~~

"They are all down!" Al called, and he ran over to stand next to the other two.

"On three," Hohenheim spoke, "One, two -CLAP-"

~~.~~

The soldiers watched in awe as lines of light spread out from beneath them, the array gleaming in the light.

The array activated from the edges, first, and moved to the center point, then spreading out along the axis, and back into the middle.

The Noah froze when the light reached them, and then without even giving them a chance to scream, it raced through them, forcing the separation of the souls.

Suddenly the battle field was empty. Empty of light, of sound, of fights going on and people calling orders.

The nine previous Noah were unconscious on the ground, normal humans once again.

The Earl screamed.

~~.~~

Allen was barely keeping up with the Earl, rage written all over his face. Dodge, roll, step slash, it was like some kind of dance as the two fought back and forth, any kind of human emotion drained from the man's face until all was left was purely animistic wrath.

"Fuck, Allen!" Ed followed the battle, and was constantly transmuting walls to give Allen room to breathe.

"You," the Earl growled, lunging forward, and slicing Allen's arm," YOU KILLED THEM."

Allen didn't respond, he was too busy staying alive. He moved back another step, and used his cloak to drag him out of the way of another wild swing.

Ed caught Allen's eye as he was moving back, and Allen nodded once.

Ed grinned, and clapped his hands together.

Allen moved back and back further away from the main fight. Suddenly, he tripped, and fell to the ground, sword raised to stop a blow from taking off his head.

"You will die too, and then I will kill everyone you ever cared about, Allen Walker," the Earl grinned and he raised the sword high.

A clap was heard from behind them, and a pillar of stone hit the Earl's hand, causing the sword to go flying in the air. Backwards. Directly into the hands of Edward Elric.

Allen spun around quickly, having had been prepared to move as soon as he "fell" and sprinted over to Ed.

He grabbed the word from his hand, and then without a thought, pushed them together.

A pure white blade was glowing in his hand, the radiance coming off of it almost blinding.

The Earl rushed forward, a huge dark matter ball forming in his hands, the same on he had used to level Japan.

And without thought, Allen rushed forward.

And cut.

~~.~~

A huge blast rang out from the ground zero, and a wash of dust spread over every one.

"ALLEN!" Lenalee cried out, trying to rush forward, but unable to see.

"NII-SAN, ALLEN!" Al screamed, but Hohenheim held him back.

The dust particulates began to settle, falling to the ground.

Mustang marched forward, his eyes blazing.

He raised a hand to his mouth, and called out, "HEY SHORTIE, YOU BETTER GET OUT HERE, YOU ARE SO SMALL WE CAN'T SEE YOU UNDERNEATH ALL THE DUST."

At the same time words were spoken loudly from nearby as well, "BEANSPROUT GET THE FUCK UP YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO TAKE A FRICKEN NAP."

Mustang and Kanda slowly turned to glare at each other, but their confrontation was broken before it could even start.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING SHORT!" Two voices echoed from the dust, and heavy footsteps were heard.

Allen and Ed trudged slowly towards the group, both looking worse for the wear, but with triumphant smiles on their faces.

Mustang reached them first, looking them over, "Is he dead?"

Allen nodded, his sword moved back to being his arm, "Dead...the Millennium Earl is dead. The Akuma are dead. It is over."

Cheering suddenly filled the area, large shouts and tears filling the previously silent air.

Al rushed forward as well, to hit both of his brothers over the heads for "being reckless stupid idiots, I am not letting you out of my sight!"

Allen laughed and fell to the ground, Edward soon following behind him.

Lenalee and Lavi moved forward as well, to sit on the ground and join the ever growing group.

Suddenly, Lenalee gasped, and Allen turned to look at her, "Lenalee?"

"My...my innocence..." she stared down at her anklets, and suddenly Allen was filled with a sense of dread.

It was if they were chipping away, as if little specks of light were causing her anklets to no longer exist.

*thump thump*

Lavi quickly pulled out his hammer, which was also starting to disappear, "Our innocence what is happening?"

*thump thump*

Allen looked slowly down at his arm, and sighed, as he saw it too was beginning to degrade, "I guess...we don't need it anymore...now that the Earl is gone."

*thump-*

Suddenly a raging pain filled Allen's chest, and he grabbed it with his one hand, "ARGH"

He coughed and coughed, and he could hear raised voices surrounding him.

One stood out above all of the rest, as Komui looked on the scene with terror.

"His...his heart..."

Ed whirled around to the man, and saw the look of pure horror on his face, "What do you mean his heart, what the FUCK IS GOING ON?"

Komui stood frozen, but spoke quietly, "When Allen was attacked by Tyki...he was stabbed through the heart...the only reason he lived...was because of his innocence..."

"No," Ed whispered, and turned back to Allen, to find an even more sickening sight filled his gaze.

All of Allen was flaking away, not just his arm, as he bent over and coughed so hard tears were streaming from his eyes.

"No, NO, NO," Ed tried to grab Allen's shoulders, but his hands slid through as if nothing was their.

Suddenly large hands replaced his, and Ed looked up to see Hohenheim staring down, his eyes hard.

Then the man's hands dropped as well, and he leaned back, "I'm sorry...there is nothing I can do...there is nothing left to fix."

"Allen," Al spoke his eyes beginning to water, "No, no, Allen you can't leave, who will help me stop brother from being an idiot!"

Allen laughed out a cough and gave Al a small half smile, before he was forced to shudder his way through the agony.

"Allen, you can't...you can't do this," Ed leaned forward, and tried to grab Allen's hand.

It just slid off.

Allen was becoming less and less opaque, and Ed could see the full moon rising through his body.

And then with the last dredges of his strength Allen spoke two words.

"Keep walking."

And then he was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *cackles*


	17. Chapter 17

Allen Walker woke to white. Everywhere surrounding him was covered in white. His eyes fluttered, and he felt like a weight was pressing down on every part of him. All the pain he had felt, all of the emotions, seemed to be shuttered away far from where his mind could reach.

It would be so easy just to close his eyes, to fall asleep, and it was so peaceful where he was...

Are you really going to rest now?

A voice broke through the white, and Allen tilted his head forward. His eyes landed on two large stone doors that were on either side of him.

And two figures of pure white outlined in black.

"What?" Allen tried to struggle to his feet, but could barely manage to get enough strength in his one arm to push himself into a sitting position.

I wouldn't choose someone who would just laze about, you know.

The figure on the right spoke, and Allen felt a sort of warmth fill him, causing all of his aches and pains to ebb away.

You shouldn't have chosen anyone, it was foolish of you to follow.

The figure on the left spoke, and Allen recognized it as the one he had met before, Truth.

The other figure remained silent, but had moved forward, and was now crouching beside Allen.

You know that balance must be kept, if one side had won, and the other failed, you of all know what would have happened.

The figure placed a hand on Allen's chest, over his heart, and tilted it's head.

It seems it has been repaired.

"I...I don't understand," Allen spoke quietly, and the figure was suddenly gone from his side, and back in front of one of the gates.

Truth smiled it's Cheshire grin, Of course you don't, why would you.

He did finish his job, the other figure pointed out, and Truth's smile faded.

There was an imbalance, the unnamed figure spoke into the white.

On both sides of the gate, on one, the homunculi, and on the other, the Noah.

The homunculi could be fought by those who searched for "Truth", but for some time...nothing could fight against the Noah.

I was irrelevant, Truth spoke, Truth had no bearing in that war, so something else had to be done.

You needed the will to fight, and that is what you are given. I am your choices, your desires, your dreams. The actions you take and the world you face. I am Will.

The figure stood still against the background, Or as you humans called me, Heart.

"The heart of the innocence?" Allen spoke, quiet awe filling his tone.

The figure nodded, and Truth began to speak again, It was not equal, but it was close for a time, but then, the homunculi were killed, and the balance was gone.

"That is why you had me kill them, bring them back...what would have happened if the balance was destroyed?"

Nothing would have survived, Truth's words rang out, and Allen flinched at the tone of thousands weighted behind it.

You were chosen for that task, because I chose you, Will spoke again.

"Wait, you mean..."

You were the child of a Noah and a human, that has never been able to happen before, it meant that you would be able to contain and use the powers that I embody, without being killed immediately.

You were the one that held the "heart of innocence" and you have completed your job, and so you will get your...due.

Allen struggled to his feet, "What do you mean my due, what are you talking about? Didn't I just die? I..." he rubbed his chest with his right hand.

You did not die, you were brought here in time for it to be healed. In exchange for your innocence, for your life, you shall live. But a choice will be made.

Equivalence. No two sides can forever be joined, so you must choose one. The ark will close, never to be opened again, and you will stay on one side forever. That is the price. A life, for a life.

Will faded into the background, and soon Allen and Truth were all that remained in the world of white.

Truth started to smile again, and Allen tried to take a step back, but couldn't move.

A gift, for you...for returning what was lost...

Black arms reached out of the Gate, and dragged him away.

~~.~~

Ed stood outside, a small drizzle coming down from the sky, slowly soaking his hair and jacket. He sighed, and clenched and unclenched his automail hand.

"Nii-san," Al moved beside him, but didn't say any more.

They stood shoulder to shoulder, Al huddled close to his brother.

"How come we can never win," Ed spoke voice breaking quietly, "No matter what happens...we can never win, and even if we do win, we lose what really matters."

Al had no response, his head tilted towards the ground.

"WHAT KIND OF FUCKING EQUIVALENT EXCHANGE IS THIS!" Ed yelled out into the abyss, and Al's shoulders hitched.

"Fullmetal," Mustang spoke from behind them, and Ed whirled around, prepared to shout.

Mustang's eyes were filled with pain, and Ed's shout froze in his throat at the familiar look that was mirrored back at him.

"Get out of the rain, we can't have you rusting," Mustang then turned on his heels, and disappeared back towards the Order building.

Al wiped his face with his hand, and then grabbed onto Ed's, "He's right, we should get out of the rain."

Ed's shoulder's slumped, and he began to allow Alphonse to drag him back inside.

They both dropped to their knees, a groan drawing out of Ed's throat. Words and phrases and thoughts swirled around both of their heads, and suddenly an array was drawn. Al curled into himself, and grabbed his head, tears streaming down his face and getting lost in the rain.

"Ed? Al?...shit, ED, AL?! I need help over here!"

Ed groaned at the noises, "Shut up, aagh."

Al whimpered, and took a deep breath, "Nii-san...did you see that?"

"The array?" Ed questioned back, and looked up in time to see Al nod, "Yeah, what the fuck was that?"

Ed closed his eyes, and the array appeared before him again, "Crossbar for across the distance, balance between planes by the tangent lines?"

Al nodded, and sat back, "The octagon shows direct points, while being bounded by the circle to show unity, so travelling of some kind?"

"But the middle...an open circle...bounded by two overlaid squares, I've never seen that before..."

"Travel...from one place to another...a full body...no not travel...calling?" Al mused, and suddenly Ed froze.

"Travel...Gates...boundaries, I...FUCK IT!" Ed jumped to his feet, and Al followed him swearing as well and shocking the growing group of concerned friends.

"You don't seriously think!" Al spoke, his face beginning to widen into a grin.

"It has to be, there is nothing else it could be, and it did, it fucking took him once, right!" Ed stood inside of the main hall, and transmuted a bit of chalk out of the ground.

Al made one as well, and they soon began to draw lines swiftly on the ground.

"Fullmetal, what in the world are you doing?" Mustang spoke angrily, following the two inside.

"Shut up, shut up! Just wait a second, bastard," Ed mumbled, and finished the last of the two boxes, "Al, done?"

"Yes!" Al grinned, and stepped back.

"On three then," Ed stood on one half of the circle, and Al on the other.

"One, two, THREE!"

The clapped in unison, and the world exploded into white.

The white faded slowly, the people who had gathered around blinking to try to get the stars out of their eyes.

"Ow...now where am I?" a voice broke the quiet, and twin shouts of joy filled the air, followed by a large thumping sound.

With the lights that had blinded them gone, the Alchemists and Exorcists looked into the remains of the circle, and the lump of gold and silver shone out against the harsh lamp lights.

Allen Walker was smiling widely, being squished to death by his two brothers.

His smile grew even further at the large crowd that was gathered around them.

Then he let out a loud squawk as the dog pile he was a part of grew even large as the rest of the group ran forward as well.

"You stupid idiotic...gah! How could you have been so dumb," Al grumbled into his shoulder, pushed close by necessity.

"Can't breathe!" Allen gasped with a smile on his face, and soon he found himself being passed from person to person, for hugs and irritated shouts.

"Allen," Lenalee held him close, and Allen patted her shoulder, ignoring the wet that was soaking into his collar.

"I'm ok, I'm ok," he spoke quietly, and she took a step back and nodded, drying her eyes.

"Of course you are," Lavi spoke, and he grabbed Allen in a headlock, and started rasping his knuckles through Allen's hair.

Allen tried to shove him off, but it was difficult to do with one arm, so he ended up kicking Lavi out of the way.

Only in time to be picked up and lugged around by Armstrong, who was crying everywhere, and Allen started to laugh.

It was another half hour before people had finally begun to calm down.

Allen was stuck in between Ed and Al, Ed holding onto his arm tightly, and Al pushed up against his other side.

"Don't fucking pull that bullshit again, you hear me?" Ed spoke, and Allen nodded.

"I promise," he replied, and felt warmth bloom in his heart as Ed nodded roughly, and tightened his hold.

"Well," Mustang spoke into the levity, "It seems we have finished what we came here to do, so we will be heading back through the ark tomorrow, everyone should prepare."

Ed and Al felt Allen tense between them, and he slowly stood up.

Everyone turned to look at him, and he gave a small smile, "...the ark is going to have to be closed...and never opened again..."

"What?" Lavi spoke out into the silence that descended around them.

"It...it is the price...it is going to close,and what is on one side will stay there forever, and what is on the other will be there...so once the doors close, it is gone," Allen fidgeted, and Lenalee stared at him, a small light flickering in her eyes.

"Allen?" Al's quiet voice filtered into his hearing, "Not even for you?"

Allen shook his head, and Komui let out a sigh.

Lenalee suddenly smiled a watery smile, and with a small, "I'll be right back!" she ran down the corridor.

They all watched her progress, and then winced at the multiple loud thumps and noises they heard.

Suddenly she was zooming back with a large box in her hand, and Komui let out a small laugh.

"Here, Allen, this is for you," she placed the box in his hand, and smiled at him.

"What?" Allen looked down at the box, but was engulfed in a tight hug.

"Wear it over there. We made it especially for you."

Allen gaped at her, and she just shook her head with a smile, " We will miss you, so much, but...I think it is obvious where you are going to go."

Crowley sniffed, and tears were running silently down his face. His mouth was closed at the moment, as it seemed growing his teeth back was a slow process.

"Shortie isn't good at hiding things...except in cards, "Lavi spoke out, and startled some laughter from the other exorcists.

"Open it, Allen-kun," Komui spoke gently, and Allen did so slowly, having to place the package down to open it with his one hand.

A large ankle length coat in black was held in his hand, a high collar and hood flopping over the back of his arm. It was similar to the Exorcist's uniform, but instead of a sleeve on the left side, the fabric was pinned to the upper right corner with the Exorcist's seal, and draped down to where his fingers would just be able to peak out.

"We designed it so that you would be able to use your sword without destroying your jacket...I guess that doesn't matter now but..." Lenalee trailed off.

"I..." Allen heaved in a breath, and rubbed his hand over his face,"...thank you."

He held the coat close to his chest, and looked over all of the former exorcists there, as well as all the friends he had made. Reever had turned his face skyward, trying to cover his tears with an arm. Komui was smiling lightly, a knowing look in his eyes. Miranda was standing tall, tears overflowing down her face. Kanda was looking at him with a raised eyebrow, as if saying, 'Get on with it, beansprout."

Allen laughed, and shook his head, turning to face the future.

Allen took a breath and looked up at Mustang, whose face had remained still throughout the entire exchange, "Is it all right if I stay in Amestris?'

A smile tugged over Mustang's lips, "Of course, and if I had said no, I'm quite certain your idiot brothers would have thrown a fit."

"DAMN RIGHT WE WOULD HAVE, BUT WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU CALLING AN IDIOT!" Ed fumed, and they all started to laugh.

"We are going to throw a going away party for Allen-kun!" Jerry shouted, and suddenly pulled Allen away, laughing all the while.

~~.~~

It was much later in the night when the party began to wind down. Mustang watched as some of the adults drunkenly stumbled about and were singing songs together. Ed was standing on a table and shouting loudly, with Al sitting near him and sighing at his brother.

Allen and Kanda were over in a corner, yelling abuse at each other, probably saying goodbye, and Komui kept hugging his little sister, causing her to kick him.

"Excuse me?" Mustang turned to his right, and saw the other female Exorcist standing there.

"Yes?"

"I.." she trailed off and then shook her head, "Can I come too?"

Mustang blinked with shock, "Excuse me?"

"The only reason I joined the Exorcists was because Allen was the one who showed me what it meant to fight for what you wanted, and well, I really don't have much else here, and I can work hard...though I have really bad luck... and..." She spoke quickly, and trailed off.

Mustang looked at her, and shrugged, "Did you already finish everything up here?"

She nodded.

Mustang looked at her, and then gave a quick glance in Taylor's direction. This could be fun...

He nodded, "Certainly then, but I'm going to have to ask for some papers from you, on the difference between the two worlds. I'm sure we can find a place for you to work."

She gave him a wide smile, and tears began to swell in her eyes.

"Oh, thank you so much!"

Mustang shook his head in disbelief at the craziness that surrounded them, pointedly ignoring Armstrong tugging a terrified look former Exorcist around, and telling everyone who could hear about his amazing fighting prowess.

~~.~~

It was almost morning when Allen made his way down to the bottom of the tower. He stood quietly and stared in awe at the small figure that used to once be Hevlaska.

"The indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole," She spoke at him with a smile.

"Excuse me?" Allen moved forward.

"Time, that is what the dictionary says it is, you did it then, you destroyed time," She smiled, and allowed Allen to help her struggle to her feet.

"Time is now completely different from what it was, the possibilities of the future, the knowledge of the past, and the events of the present."

She drew him into a hug, "I knew you could do it."

He led her upstairs, and showed her a room that she could use as her own.

"I did it, huh..." Allen smiled, and relaxed back into his bed for the last time.

~~.~~

The next morning came far too quickly, and Allen exchanged last minute hugs with everyone.

Tim was resting on his head, determined to not be left behind.

He was the last one to step into the Ark, and he smiled one last time as he slowly shut the door. He wandered around the Ark, closing some of the other doors that had been left open, and then finally made his way to the door that lead to Amestris. Ed and Al had stayed with him, but the other Amestrians and Miranda had gone through ahead.

"This is it then," Allen spoke, and smiled as Ed shoved into his shoulder.

"Ah come on, it isn't too bad, even with two bastards there now..." Ed grumbled, and Al sighed.

Allen smiled, and Al grabbed Ed and dragged him through the door.

Allen looked back into the Ark for the last time, and closed his eyes.

"Thank you."

He stepped out, and closed the door behind him.

~~.~~

~~.~~

~~.~~

~~.~~

~~.~~

"Hey Ed?" Allen spoke from the chair he was lounging in.

Ed looked up with a raised eyebrow.

Allen grinned, "So...I saw the truth, does that make me an alchemist?"

.

..

...

"WHHHHHAAAAAAAT?"


End file.
